Brothers at Arms
by tears-in-rain
Summary: It all started when Sky accepted a mission from Princess Stella to go meet her on Earth, and from that point onwards the Heroes sophomore year started down a different road to what they expected. Set throughout Season One
1. It Feels Like Magic

_Okay, you have no idea how much work went into this fic. It basically follows the Heroes journey through Season One doing what I think they may have been up to in the episodes they weren't in and their point of view in the ones they were in. A__ massive thanks needs to go out to Sakuras Anime and Florapower who has actually posted all the episodes of seasons one and two on the net and even a few of season 3 which is fantastic since I don't know when they're going to air them down here in Australia. The site address is __http://sakurasanime. if you wonna go check it out. All the episodes are the 4Kids version, but there's a link to a site that has the RAI episodes if you wonna check them out. They don't have all the episodes there, but it's pretty interesting. I had only seen the 4Kids version so it was kinda trippy to listen to the voices in the RAI version, especially Tecna. Another thanks needs to go out to my boss for not being sharp enough to catch onto the fact that I was often wasting hours on end listening the episodes and typing out the script instead of working and getting paid a massive rate all the while I was doing it. Gotta love causal rates. _

_Like I said, this fic is based off the 4Kids version of Winx Club Season One, and as a result of that one of the big issues is that Musa is a Princess who's father had his royalty disowned. Another thing about this fic is that it doesn't answer the burning questions of where do the boys keep the weapons when their uniforms clearly don't have any room for pockets, how they can walk away from massive falls and hits that any mere morals would come out of with shattered bones, how can they be wearing one pair of clothes one second, and then be changed into a completely different outfit the next or why at the end of Magical Reality Check Stella has four arms (look closely at her when Bloom gets thrown up into air by her classmates. She so does). We'll just leave all that down to the wonders of magic. _

_As a heads up which you probably already now, at the start of the fic blonde Sky is called Brandon and visa versa. They swap over later. Also, I am forced to use some of the lamest dialogue in the world but I didn't write it. Honestly, do 4Kids really believe teenagers talk like that? My absolute favourite of the worst has to be in the final episode when Sky (blonde one) is congratulating Bloom for kicking Icy's butt and he says, "You've got to give me five". This is his freaking crush he's talking to and he says that! My god._

_Finally, I'm an Australian with a US spell check and there's bound to be a few mistakes, but enough about that. Here's chapter one. P.S. I own nothing._

* * *

**Chapter One – It Feels Like Magic **

The fortress of Red Fountain stood tall and mighty as Brandon made his way through the great, crimson gates. The academy was just as majestic as it had been the same time last year when Brandon had first laid his blue eye upon her. Her cream walls gleamed in the morning sunlight as the schools banner fluttered in the wind above the crimson tiles of the roof. The fortress had stood for over three hundred years, and was a monument to the honor and bravery which was taught within those walls.

With a toss of his head, Brandon flicked his blonde hair out of his eyes and crossed the front courtyard of the school. A bus had arrived from Magix not long ago, and several students still lingered with their luggage as they chatted with friends they hadn't seen all summer. Lessons didn't start for a few more days, but since most students had to travel across the universe, the school always opened their gates early to allow students some time to settle in without the hassle of homework. Brandon had arrived the day before with his best friend Prince Sky, and was now waiting on his two other roommates to show up. One of them was due to be on this bus.

Brandon couldn't see his friend in the lingering students, so that must mean the he had already taken his bags to their room. Jogging up the steps, Brandon entered the halls of Red Fountain and made his way to his dorm. The student quarters were located towards the back of the school, which made it difficult at the start and the end of summer with all the boys' luggage, and the four guys playing hallway lacrosse didn't make it any easier.

"Watch it guys," Brandon said without anger as one of the lacrosse players nearly body slammed him into the wall. Forget battles, just surviving the students alone needed a certain level of bravery.

"Whatever squire," one of the boys sneered at the blonde. "I don't have to listen to the likes of you."

"Oh, hi Justin, it's so great to see you," Sky smiled mockingly. Justin's father was a duke and as the only male heir, Justin liked to remind everyone of his title. Especially those he out ranked.

Justin pulled a sarcastic grin. "I'm sure it is. Tell me, are you still following that loser prince of yours around like some kind mangy dog, Brandon?"

"Yeah. We're friends. You know what they are, don't you Justin? They're the people that hang around you because they like you, not because you bribe them by paying for everything with daddy's money."

"You'd better watch your mouth, squire, or I'll – "

"Hey Brandon!" a voice called down the hallway. Brandon looked up to see his best friend jogging down the hallway towards them, his face half covered by his long brown fringe. "The Doc's got this new nurse/receptionist, and she is hot! Seriously man, you gotta come check her out. I've got half a mind to get myself half killed so she can take care of me. I wouldn't mind getting a sponge bath her, if you get my drift. Oh, hi Justin! I see daddy managed to buy you back into Red Fountain. You know, before last year I didn't think it was possible for anyone to misplace a dragon, but by gods, you sure showed us, didn't you now?"

"Hello Sky," Justin hissed. Normally a person with the level of pompousness as Justin had would show a great level of respect and flattery towards someone with a high title, but he just couldn't do it with this prince. It was like Sky had never been trained on how a prince should act. "It's nice to know you're still as cheery as last year. Now, if you don't mind, could you and your servant move along, please? We're playing a game here."

"Yeah, come on Brandon. We don't want to hang around here. I'm sure we could find a skunk with better social skills then Justin. Bye Justin! I hope I face you soon in combat class!" Sky called cheerily as he and Brandon continued their way to their dorm. Once they were out of ear shot, Sky dropped the cheery act that annoyed Justin so much. "That's guys such an ass."

"Tell me about it," Brandon agreed. "At least he's polite to you."

"You call that polite?"

"You should hear what he says to me. Sometimes he gets be so mad I just wonna . . ."

"Wonna what? Tell him the truth?" Sky asked.

"Yeah," Brandon shrugged. He knew he shouldn't let Justin get to him like that. He was above the petty name calling games Justin like to play, he knew it. But whenever Justin would start degrading him because of his rank, it made Brandon want to just come out and rub the truth in his stupid face.

"Hey man, like I said before we started freshmen year, I'll do whatever you want."

"Thanks Sky," Brandon grinned, clasping a friendly hand on the brunettes shoulder. It was always comforting the way his best friend would support him no matter what. With a content little smile, Brandon opened the door to their dorm and the pair entered the room. Their dorm for this year was fairly large and made up to cater for four people. Their rooms weren't quite as spacious as the ones at Alfea, but it wasn't like they were living in a shoe box. Sky and Brandon had already unpacked most of their things the night before, so when they noticed the bags lying in the center of the room they knew that one of their roommates had arrived. And just by seeing the number of bags, they knew who it was.

"Hey Timmy!" Sky called out. "Where are you man?"

"I'm here," a voice answered, and a second later a teenaged boy with glasses and orangey-blonde hair crawled out from under one of the desks. Climbing to his feet, the boy adjusted his glassed and postponed unpacking for a second to greet his friend. "I was just setting up my computer. How were your summers?"

"Great," Brandon grinned, pulling Timmy into a brotherly bear hug. "Sky and I got to have a few lessons with the Swords Master of Eraklyon. He never would train us before since we were 'novices', but after our first year here he decided to check out our skills."

"Wow, he must have taught you a few tricks, huh?"

"You bet, bro," Sky beamed, also hugging Timmy. "I can't wait till combat class. I've gonna give Codatorta the shock of his life. He's not going to even see it coming. What about you? How was your summer? Hang on, let me guess; you created a new computer program?"

"Yeah," Timmy laughed somewhat bashfully before returning to his unpacked belongings. "Two actually."

Sky laughed and collapsed onto his bed. "We gotta get you a girl, Timster."

"I thought you were focusing on getting yourself a certain Princess of Solaria," Brandon teased his friend seeing as Timmy was a little to embarrassed for words. The boys had gotten to know Princess Stella of Solaria during their freshmen year, and Brandon knew Sky had developed a crush on her almost immediately. Sky had planned to ask her to prom last year, but then Stella blew up Alfea's potion lab and was banned from the party. It had taken a lot of pleading and a bit of bribery from her parents to get the school to agree to let her come back and it was on the condition that she repeats her freshmen year.

"Hey, Stella's got it bad for me," Sky gloated.

"Whatever."

"I'm serious. She told me that she'd call me when school starts and we'd set a time to hang out."

"She asked you on a date?" Timmy asked, pausing slightly from putting his clothes away.

"Well . . ." Brandon trailed off. "Not exactly. She just said we'd hang out."

"Sounds a bit like a date to me," Brandon grinned.

"It's not. She dropped the whole 'we'll hang out as friends' thing on me."

"Harsh. But she was totally flirting with you last year when we ran into her at Magix," Brandon reminded his friend. "I reckon once she hangs out with you a bit more she'll totally fall for you."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Sky grinned, his eyes becoming distant as he thought of the Princess of the Sun and the Moon. "I mean, when I look this good, how could she refuse?"

"Her hearing could work?" Brandon shrugged, and Timmy chuckled softly. Sky did not look too impressed.

The boys continued to hang out in the dorm chatting and getting settled in for the next few hours. It was starting to get late in the afternoon when the door slammed open and their fourth roommate entered, and with one glance all the boys knew the new arrival was in an irritated mood. The boy forcefully threw the single bag that held all his belongings onto his bed, before digging into his pockets, pulling out his wallet and removing a ten dollar note.

"There. You win," the boy growled with blazing eyes, tossing the crumpled note in Sky's direction before joining his bag on his bed.

"You got put on detention already?" Sky exclaimed, recalling the bet he and his roommate had made at the end of freshmen year. "But the school year hasn't even started! The bet was meant to be for you to try and last a week and you couldn't last a day? When did you arrive?"

"Bout an hour and a half ago, but I spent the last hour in Codatorta's office getting yelled at."

"Half an hour? You got put on detention after half an hour? Riven!"

"It was worth it," Riven told his friends. "He had it comin'."

"Who did?" Brandon questioned, beginning to suspect why Riven was already on detention despite the fact that the school year hadn't officially started yet. Only someone with as bad an attitude as Riven could manage a feat like that.

"Status Crow," Riven answered, and there was no need for him to go into any more detail.

"_Carr carr! Carr carr!"_ Sky imitated a crow call with a smirk on his face. "That's gotta be a record; smashing Justin's slimy face in within half an hour of you stepping onto school grounds."

Status Crow was one of those nick names that no one can quite remember exactly who originally came up with, but it had stuck none the less. It came from the term status quo and related to Justin's unchanging obsessed with rank, and also because Justin had black hair and a long, pointed nose that tended to look like a beak. Basically, all the boys did with it was let out crow calls whenever Justin was around to act as a warning for others as well as a tormenting device.

"I didn't even smash his face in and I still get put on detention," Riven complained, making no effort towards unpacking. "All I did was push him into the wall a little bit. Mind you, he was carrying on like I had pushed him _through_ the wall but all I did really was tap him. Pathetic."

"Yeah, I wish my daddy would pay to fight all my wars for me," Brandon muttered somewhat glumly. This year was shaping up to be exactly like freshmen year.

Brandon wasn't a wuss, but he didn't have the thick skin to go though all the social dramas, peer pressure, mind games and bullying all students were put though at Red Fountain. It was a good school, no doubt, but you can't get a bunch of male adolescents in one building, teach them how to fight while putting them in head to head competition with one another and not expect ramifications. Sky and Riven could handle it fine with there unwavering ego, but Brandon was more uncertain of himself, like any person his age usually are. And although Brandon wanted to graduate from the leading school for heroics and bravery and do his family proud, he wasn't sure if he could be able to stand the social side of it all.

"Whatever. I say we head over to the training arena and get some sword practice before dinner," Riven suggested, opening his bag and ferreting around for his saber.

"You've only just arrived," Timmy pointed out.

"So?"

"Don't you need to unpack?"

"No. I'm pissed off about getting detention and I figure the best way to counter that is to try and cut one of your darling throats."

"Oh that's charming," Sky commented sarcastically. "Seriously, we need to get you into anger management or therapy or something. It's a bit unnerving hearing you talk like that when I have to sleep in the same room as you."

"I'm sure you'll live," Riven told him in an uninterested tone.

"I'm not."

"Well, I think we should do it," Brandon agreed with Riven, and all his friends stared at him as if he told them he was going to transfer to Alfea. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"Are you feeling alright?" Timmy asked, putting his hand to Brandon's forehead as if checking for a temperature.

"Yeah? Why?"

"Because you never agree with what Riven says," Sky reminded his friend.

"I do sometimes. It's _you_ that automatically disagrees with Riven for arguments sake."

"Yeah, he's got a point there," Timmy pointed out, and the other two knew he was right. There was no real malice between Riven and Sky but the prince had a frightening ability to understand Riven's mind, and that tended to put both on edge.

"Finally, blondie's gettin' some blood lust," Riven smirked, springing to his feet with his eyes flashing in malicious delight. "Let's go already."

"We may as well," Brandon told the other two, also getting to his feet and retrieving his sword. "We got time to kill and we don't want to be out of practice for our first combat class, now do we?"

"I didn't see it that way," Sky grinned, grabbing his broadsword and following his friends out of the dorm towards the training arena. "Nice to see you're taking an interest in our academic studies, Riv."

Riven flinched away from the hand Sky had placed on his shoulder. "Don't touch me."

"Ah, it's always a pleasure with you, Riven."

* * *

The four boys weren't the only students to think of filling in time by getting some practice in before the lessons started. The training arena was fairly crowded, but they managed to find a spare plateau. Riven's summer at swashbuckler camp had taught the already reckless youth some pretty underhanded and cut throat moves that were most certainly weren't going to be within the school curriculum, but the moves Sky and Brandon had been taught by Swords Master of Eraklyon managed to deflect most of Riven's attacks. Timmy, as always, was rather hesitant to spar with swords, but Brandon managed to talk him into a bout. 

"I'd like to purpose a toast!" Sky announced when they were taking a short break from their training.

"To what?" Brandon asked eagerly, while Timmy and Riven seemed more hesitant. Sky's plans sometimes turned out to be a bit half baked and had landed the boys in a few rather embarrassing situations in the past.

"To the new year!" Sky beamed, holding his broadsword aloft. "May this year be filled with adventure, danger, beautiful women and friendship!"

"Oh gods," Riven groaned, disgusted by Sky's flamboyant display.

"You guys gotta cross swords with me!" Sky ordered the others.

"Do we have too?" Timmy asked, feeling self-conscious with all of the other people that were in the training arena with them.

"Oh please," Sky pouted, lowering his sword and putting on the best puppy dog eyes he could muster. He put as much innocence into his brown eyes as possible to try and force his friends to cave and do what he wanted.

Riven, however, was immune to puppy dog eyes. "You're pathetic."

"Oh, come on Riven. We did what you wanted to do," Brandon reminded his friend while crossing his blade with the lowered broadsword in Sky's hand. His prince's eyes shone with a childlike delight. Riven rolled his violet eyes, before crossing his magenta phantom blade across the other two and then turned his attention to Timmy.

"If I have to do this, you do too," he informed his friend. With a slight sigh, Timmy crossed the golden blade he had been using to fence Brandon with across the other three. In unison, the four raised their blades above their heads.

"To the new year!" Sky cried, and no sooner had they lowered their blades then his mobile phone went off. One glance at the caller ID was enough to send Sky's delight into ecstasy. "See, the toast is working already! The beautiful women!"

"Who is it?" Brandon asked, though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer judging from the way Sky was acting.

"Princess Stella!" Sky beamed, before dropping into his 'cool as a cucumber' mood and pressing the answer button on his cell phone. "Hello."

Brandon couldn't help but smile at his friends act. It was either that or roll his eyes like Riven. And although Brandon was glad that his friend had found someone that affected him so much, Brandon couldn't help but feel a little envious. It must be nice to have someone that you like simply for being them, or to know someone that sent your knees weak just by looking at you the way Stella did to Sky. Brandon felt somewhat robbed of such a feeling, but he knew you couldn't just force yourself to feel that way about a person. That kind of attraction happened naturally. It couldn't be planned or arranged.

Brandon was so caught up in his thoughts that he only just managed to catch the end of Sky's conversation with Stella, but what he did hear managed to drag him out of his thoughts pretty quickly.

"Yeah, sure. That's fine. We'll be there soon. Okay? See you then," Sky grinned as he hung up his phone. Brandon really hated it whenever Sky would volunteer them for something without even discussing it with them before hand. "Pack up guys! We're going to Earth."

"_Where?"_ was Riven's first response.

"Earth," Sky repeated. "It's a non magical planet. Explains why we haven't learnt about it in social studies yet."

"What have you gotten us into this time?" Brandon demanded.

Shy shrugged slightly. "It's really nothing. Stella was passing through Earth on her way to Alfea – "

"That's a pretty round about rout," Timmy commented.

" – and she was attacked by this horrible ogre. What was an ogre was doing on a non magical planet? I have no idea. Probably stalking Stella since she said he was after her Scepter of Solaria – "

"Yeah, that might be a clue," Riven muttered.

" – and would you guys stop interrupting me?" Sky asked before continuing. "Anyway, she was like found by this Earth girl who managed to drive the ogre and his ghouls off with some serious magic, according to Stella."

"How can someone from a non magical planet have magic let alone serious magic?" Brandon questioned.

"Beats me. But Stella says this girl's got serious potential and totally sweet, so she wants us to go to Earth and use our manly charm to persuade her to come with Stella to Alfea this year."

"Well that leaves you out then," Riven noted seriously, earning a death glare off Sky.

"So are we going?" Sky asked his friends.

"No," Riven instantly replied. "Why do we have to travel half way across the universe to chat up some backwater Earth girl Stella's taken a shine too?"

"Because I said you had to!"

"Sorry, but you already used you 'Do What I Say' token on that stupid toast."

"But I haven't," Brandon pointed out. "And I say we go met Stella's new friend."

"Yes!" Sky beamed, while Riven looked a bit sour, but that was nothing new.

"Yeah, I'm in," Timmy agreed. "It'll be interesting to go to a non magical planet. I bet their technology is years behind ours. But how are we going to get there? I mean, we can't exactly land a ship outside her house. Something tells me space ships aren't that common on Earth."

"We'll take the transport pad," Brandon answered. "That should get us there and back before dinner even starts."

"I still don't see why we have to go," Riven grumbled, but he followed after he friends regardless of how he felt about the whole idea. Why is it that some guys will drop everything for a skirt? Don't they have anything better to do?

"Oh lighten up Riven," Brandon said. "We're going to met some girls and then come home. I mean, we're going to a non magical planet. What could possibly happen?"

* * *

They arrived on Earth in little time thanks to the transport pad, but when they managed to find the address Stella had given them, the sound of fighting lead them to the backyard. Princess Stella was there in full winx form, her outfit glittering only slightly more than the shards of glass that surrounded her after she was sent through the window. A big blue hunter troll was also there, hovering over someone that the boys couldn't quite see, but they all assumed it was the Earth girl that had somehow come to possess magic. 

Riven took one look at the situation, and then purposely looked over at Brandon. "You were saying?" he asked. Then, without taking his eyes off Brandon, he pulled out his morning star (1), and with a cool flick of his wrist, released it in the direction of the troll. Riven was freakishly good with that particular weapon, and even without looking he managed to wrap the chain around the monsters neck, leashing the troll to a halt.

The troll reeled backwards, and finally Brandon was able to see the girl that was being blocked from his view. The first thing Brandon noticed was the luscious, ruby locks that seemed to blaze through the darkness, and that she was clad all in a pale blue colour. And even at one glance, Brandon could tell that she was rather cute.

"Hey, Princess Stella! I hope your friend is the pretty one in the blue pants!" Brandon called, and was fully intent on following up with another charming yet daring line, but he found that words failed him as the red head's soft blue eyes locked onto his own. She was _gorgeous!_ Her deep, red hair framed her flawless face, and although her skin was pale her rose coloured cheeks blended perfectly with her silky hair. Her frame was slight and delicate looking as most fairies were, but if she even possessed half the power Stella seemed to think she had, Brandon knew that this was a girl would could handle herself in any situation once she mastered her magic.

But it was her eyes that grabbed Brandon's attention most. They were the most intriguing shade of blue Brandon had ever seen; not the cold, ice blue he had seen on some girls, or even a deep, velvet navy colour. Instead, they appeared to be a shade in between both. They were pale, though not chilling like ice blue eyes, and they were soft and deep, though without darkness. But above all, they seemed to burn with a fire that Brandon had never seem anyone else possess, and for some reason that made it difficult for Brandon to even breath as he held that beautiful gaze.

The pair only fixed their eyes on each other for a second before the girl shifted her uncertain eyes towards the troll that was now being restrained, but in that second Brandon felt as though his entire world had been stripped away from him, and he didn't care in the slightest.

"Yeah, and not the ugly guy at the end of the leash here," Riven continued off Brandon's comment.

"Ditto that!" Timmy added, and Sky chuckled slightly at the joke as he leant on his broad sword in what looked like an uninterested pose. But on the contrary, he was very engrossed with what was before him, but it had nothing to do with the troll.

Princess Stella was even more breath taking than he remembered. When he had first met her the year before, he had felt so over whelmed by her beauty and his strong attraction to her, and as a result he had made a complete fool out of himself whenever he tried to speak to her. But that wasn't going to happen this time. It was a new year, and Sky was going to start with a clean slate. All he had to do was keep it cool, and he'd be fine. Thus, the indifferent pose.

Brandon managed to clear his mind and focused of the situation at hand. Not only would he be doing his duty as a heroic student, but it might give him a chance to impress this unknown red head. "All right, I suggest a three pharge rescue op." (2)

"Forget that. I got this puppy wrapped up all by myself," Riven smirked, even though he could feel his wrist starting to ache under the force of the straining troll.

"Dude, one summer at a swashbuckler camp doesn't mean you can go solo on a troll," Sky pointed out casually. Riven probably would had made some snide comment if he hadn't dropped his concentration for that one second to allow the troll the opportunity to yank him off his feet via the chain the pair were both attached to. Riven flew though the air and came to what looked like a rather painful crash on the unyielding stones in between the two girls. "I rest my case."

After discarding of Riven, the hunter troll turned and heaved its way over to the three other boys. The usual acidic stench that always seemed to surround troll filled their nostrils, making them want to be physically ill. But there wasn't even time to gag as the troll lifted one of its huge fists, ready to smash it down onto the sophomores.

"Stay behind me," Brandon ordered his friends, moving out to meet the troll seeing as he was the only one with a shield. But then he regretted his noble move slightly as the troll began to beat down on his phantom shield. His arm was going to be sore in the morning."Hey guys! What we learn about battling trolls?"

Sky stopped slouching and stood up to full height. "Well, you smash them I think," he said, taking the hilt of his broadsword in both hands and slamming the blade to the ground. The stones splintered, and then a massive crevasse opened up.

"No Sky you take out their feet," Timmy corrected, taking aim and shooting at the troll with his gun. The three energy blasts connected with the trolls ankles, making him loose his balance and topple into the crevasse created by Sky. "All right!"

"Good one Timmy. Way da go!" Sky cheered.

"It's a good thing you aced how to battle forest creatures Timmy," Brandon grinned at his friend. Slowly, he flexed his shield arm to make sure everything was alright. Nothing felt broken, but it was probably going to bruise. And this wasn't over yet.

"Ghoul alert!" Sky announced.

Riven groaned slightly as he dragged himself to his feet. The school year hadn't even started and he was already getting himself hurt. But if the Doc's new nurse was as hot as Sky told him she was, Riven figured it might not be as bad this year.

"Stay here," he told the two girls. "This won't take long."

Riven's ego inflated as he systematically cut down the ghouls, but that confidence was shattered as one of Knut's huge, yellow fists connected with the right side of his face. Riven was once again sent hurling into the stone ground.

"He _always_ gets hurt," Brandon sighed with a regretful shake of his head as Stella and the Earth girl blasted some magic at Knut's unprotected back. So she really did have magic after all.

"When we get home we should really consider making him some amour out of bubble wrap," Sky suggested calmly.

"Yeah, that'll go down well," Timmy said moving in to surround Knut. Riven had gotten to his feet, and was glaring at the troll as he wiped his cheek where he had been hit.

"Back off, shortie," Knut growled at the burgundy specialist, but with the help of the fairies the teenagers had managed to surround the ogre, making and escape virtually impossible.

"You're the one who's going to back off ogre or I'm going to put my _sinkus removus _spell on you and you're going to end up smelling like you just took a bath," Stella threatened. A look of pure panic crossed Knut's face, and when he realized he couldn't break out of the circle that surrounded him, the ogre clapped his hands and fled through the transport portal he had somehow managed to open.

Sky's brown eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the place where the ogre used to be. Knut had to be working with someone who possessed magic. And whoever they were they were after Stella's scepter which put Sky on edge. He had a massive crush on her, and he had a need to protect her and not just because it was part of his duty. He needed to know she was safe for his own pace of mind. Stella clearly didn't see the gravity in this situation. In fact, she seemed to find it humorous for some reason.

"I knew that would scare him," Stella laughed, heading towards the guys. But then she turned to address the red head. "Bloom, these are the Red Fountain guys I was telling you about."

"Hello," Timmy waved.

"How's it going?" Brandon asked, eager to get acquainted with the strange girl. He wanted to know so much about her already. How did she come to be able to possess magic? What was it like growing up on a place like Earth? Did she have a boyfriend?

"Hey," Sky nodded. Riven said nothing.

"Meet Riven," Stella introduced, and still Riven made no effort to associate with the Earth girl. He was too busy making sure he hadn't shattered his fingers after bending them backwards in that last fall. Stella continued past him, "Prince Sky."

"Hey," Sky greeted, trying to keep his coolest and yet still come across as being friendly. Stella had taken a liking to this Bloom, and it was always a great help if a guy and his crushes friends on his side since it would be them she would go too for advice.

"Timmy," Stella gestured to the young genius, who smiled and laughed somewhat nervously. "And Brandon."

Brandon breathed deep. This was it. His only chance to make a first impression with Bloom. It had started off pretty well with that whole saving her life thing, but it was very important he got this next bit right. Even the very best of rescues can become tainted if you mess up your people skills. Exhibit A; Riven.

As causally as possible, Brandon retracted his sword and shield, and gave her a small salute with one of his most stunning smiles. "How're you doing?"

Very smooth, if Brandon could say so himself. It was confident, but not cocky, and friendly without seeming too eager. Brandon had a suspicion that that had to be the best first impression in the history of the universe. Brandon would have loved to continue with his history making introduction to Bloom, but then his damn sense of duty forced him to stop as the blue hunter troll crawled out of the crevasse it had fallen into.

"Not so fast tough guy," Brandon told the troll, putting an addle collar around its neck. The troll instantly dropped into a lethargic state of mind. "You'd better come with us."

"Yeah, you've done enough damage for one day pal," Sky added. Two adults he figured to be Blooms parents had joined and both of them seemed a little shell shocked. Poor little non magical beings, they're just not used to having their home trashed by a troll. It was probably best if they got the troll out of there as fast as possible and avoid the neighbors seeing anything.

Luckily Timmy was on the case. He quickly fitted the dazed troll with a transportable bondage cage that levitated the troll into the air. The four boys might be fit, but there was no way they'd be able to move a full grown hunter troll on their own. As an added luxury, Timmy connected his digital homing beacon with Red Fountain's transport pad, which meant they could teleport from Bloom's backyard right into the school grounds.

"Where are you guys taking him?" Bloom asked, and Brandon choked on his own tongue trying to be the first to answer. That small delay allowed Riven the time to answer, and for a second Brandon wanted to send Riven hurling to the stone ground for a third time even though it was impossible for Riven to have done anything intentionally

"We'll bring him back to Red Fountain. They'll probably send him to a creature preserve," Riven told Bloom, but all the while he was wondering what was wrong with Brandon. The guy looked like he just had a bug go up is nose.

"So long!" Sky called as Timmy connected to the transport pad. He and Princess Stella managed to lock eyes, and she gave him a smile that made his legs go weak. Sky suddenly couldn't wait for the Aflea-Red Fountain annual start of year mixer.

Brandon struggled with his dilemma of how he should farewell Bloom. He really wanted to see her again, with or without a troll, he really didn't care. But he couldn't come on too strong, that would just freak her out. But then again he didn't want to come off too casual or she might over look him. She was the type of girl that would definitely grab boys at Red Fountain's attention, so if he didn't act now she might meet someone else. He was still contemplating his options when he noticed that the transport pad had been activated, giving him seconds to come to a conclusion. He had to take a stab at it.

"Bloom! I sure hope I see you at Alfea!"

In the last second before the transport pad teleported them back to Red Fountain, Brandon saw Bloom with him a shy little smile, and his hope soared. That had to be an 'I hope I see you too' smile. It _had _to be. Before Brandon knew it, he was standing on the transport pad at Red Fountain wearing a rather foolish grin. This year was looking better already.

"Why have you got that stupid look on your face?" Riven's harsh words brought Brandon sharply back to reality. Riven wore an un-amused look as he failed to decipher what was going on inside Brandon's head to result in the ridiculous smile.

"Er . . . No reason," Brandon side stepped bashfully. He didn't think the guys, least of all Riven, would understand how suddenly and completely he had become enthralled with that Earth girl. He hadn't even had a chance to talk with her properly and he was acting like some poor love struck fool.

'No, it's not like that' Brandon thought to himself. He wasn't love struck, that was impossible. It just wasn't him. He was just curious about her. That's all. Curious about her unexpected power. Curious about they way she must live. Curious wither her hair was a soft as it looked.

"Well, I think that all went pretty smoothly," Sky said smugly. "Did you see the grateful look Stella gave me? Yup, I scored some major brownie points today."

"It really wasn't that smooth," Timmy corrected, glancing up at the troll they had imprisoned. "I mean, Brandon nearly got pummeled, you created a massive hole in Bloom's backyard and Riven got free flying lessons."

"I was fine," Riven instantly objected.

"Dude, I told you that you couldn't go solo on a troll," Sky reminded his friend.

"I said I was fine."

"Really? Why do you keep twiddling you're fingers?"

"Oh shut up."

"I'm still waiting for an answer," Sky grinned.

"I wouldn't mind getting a few answers myself," a voice told them from the shadows beyond the transport pad. All boys jumped as Professor Saladin, Headmaster of Red Fountain stepped into the light. Although he looked fragile, the boys knew he was not to be crossed. "Well?"

"Well sir, see . . . " Brandon trailed off.

"We found him on Earth," Sky blurted out. Riven rolled his eyes. These guys really needed to learn how to lie, or at least how to spin a story so it puts you in a good light.

"Earth?" Saladin repeated. "You found a troll on a non magical planet?"

"Um, yeah," Timmy stuttered. "You see . . . um . . . "

"An ogre followed Princess Stella there earlier today and attacked her on her way to Alfea. Stella managed to fend the ogre off but pretty much exhausted herself. An earth girl found her and took her home, and when Stella woke up, she called us and asked if we could check the surrounding area until she felt that she had revived her power. So we were there when the ogre returned with this hunter troll which we managed to contain. Unfortunately, the ogre got away," Riven answered firmly. There was no need to mention Bloom seeing as the part about them finding a girl that possessed magic on a planet that was supposed to be non magical might make his story sound unbelievable, regardless if it was the truth or not.

Saladin's eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Riven's face, trying to find some hint that would let him know if his student was lying to him. Saladin had had a few run ins with Riven in the past, and not once did he get feeling that Riven was telling him everything. That didn't mean Riven usually lied out right to him, but he did withhold certain truths.

"Earth's not exactly the most direct rout from Solaria to Alfea," Saladin pointed out.

"Well we're not trying to suggest that Stella possesses a high level of intelligence, now are we sir?"

"Riven!" Sky gasped.

"Well we're not," Riven shot back.

"You still can't say it."

"Okay, first of all; she's not here. I can say whatever I want even though I would still say it if she was here. Second; I'm not one of her subjects or crushing her like you are so again I don't give a damn what I say about her. And third; you've got to admit the girl isn't the sharpest tool in the shed."

"She's very smart."

"She blew up a lab," Riven pointed out calmly. "And she's also got a thing for you so that _has_ to mean she's missing something upstairs."

"She's got a thing for me? How do you know?"

"Um guy?" Brandon tried to interrupt when he noticed Saladin was losing patience with the conversation, but the two boys ignored him.

"I dunno," Riven shrugged. "I just figured by the way she was staring at you back on Earth."

"She was staring at me?"

"Gentlemen, if you're done gossiping, I think I'd better take that troll off your hands and let you boys go to dinner," Saladin suggested to the boys. Sky and Riven seemed a little embarrassed to be referred to as gossiping, but they agreed along with the other boys. "And may I say that I'm rather impressed that you four managed to take down a troll on your own. I'm looking forward to seeing your work throughout the year, and I think you've redeemed yourself Riven. I'll let you off detention this once."

"Thank you sir," Riven said with a slight incline of his head.

"Now go to dinner. I'm sure you've worked up an appetite," Saladin dismissed them. "Leave the troll with me."

"Yes sir," the boys answered, coming to attention for a second before heading off to do as they had been instructed without any hesitation. They were all famished after an evening of troll wrangling.

"I'm off detention. Does that mean I get my ten dollars back?" Riven asked Sky as they headed towards the mess hall.

"No. You still got put on detention before the week was out. You still lose."

"But I got a second chance."

"Doesn't count."

"Timmy, what do you think?"

"Leave me out of it," Timmy told his friends, but Brandon could only just hear him. The blonde's mind was off thinking of that girl they had saved. He had only seen her for a moment really, but he still couldn't stop replaying every word, every look, over and over again in his mind. He couldn't believe how infatuated with this girl he had become in just a few minutes, but he couldn't help it.

It was like . . . _magic._

* * *

_(1) - I'm pretty sure that Riven's ball and chain thing is called a morning star, and if it isn't . . . tough._

_(2) - I'm not sure who you spell that word 'pharge' so that it now._

_Well, there you go. I've got a few chapters done already I just gotta see if I can catch any more mistakes before I post 'em. Catch you later._

_TBC._


	2. More Than High School

_Hey, thanks to all those who reviewed. I wasn't to sure what to do here but this chapter intro's a character that is often over looked and unfortunately completely disappears in the latter episode of season one and doesn't even appear in season two. You've got to wonder about what happens to those characters that just vanish like that.

* * *

**Chapter Two – More Than High School**_

"Oh dude. Classes start tomorrow and I can barely move my arm," Brandon complained over breakfast. "I'm not even sure if I'll be able to take notes let alone go through combat class. What am I gonna do?"

"I dunno, but if you figure it out, tell me," Riven groaned. While the boys had been on a bit of a high after defeating that troll, they had come crashing back down the next morning when the effort of fighting took its toll on the bodies of the heroes. Brandon's shield arm was an impressive shade of purple after suffering the force of the trolls pounding fists, Riven's entire body ached after his repeated falls onto the stones and Sky's nose was slightly swollen from being kicked by Riven after trying to tape bubble wrap around his leg while he slept. Riven had woke up and was not impressed with Sky's efforts at creating him some armor.

"Maybe you'll feel better tomorrow," Timmy shrugged. He was pretty much the only one who wasn't injured, so he had every right to make fun of his friends' situation.

"Do you want to end up like Sky?" Riven threatened, but Timmy didn't take it too seriously. While Timmy had originally been a bit intimidated by Riven when they had first met, he now came to view Riven as the older brother he never had. In fact, all his friends were like brothers, but Riven defiantly behaved the way Timmy always thought an older brother should. In short, he was threatening and rude – unless of course he wanted something – but he wouldn't hesitate for a second to beat anyone up if they dared terrorize his friend.

Sky was the therapist of the group. No matter what the problem, he usually had an answer for it and he had a great ability to listen. He could be a bit of a goof ball at times and didn't always think everything through, but that only seemed to have made him all the more endearing. Sky's never ending enthusiasm had pulled them through some pretty bleak moments in their freshmen year.

Brandon, although undeniably good with a sword, was very much the emotional and moral compass of the four boys, which is probably why Riven rivaled him so much. He was the golden boy in every sense of the word. He was good at all aspects of his schooling, virtually everyone in the class liked and trusted him and he was one of the teachers favorite students. It sometimes seemed like he could do no wrong.

And then there was Timmy. Timmy did not fit the usual profile of a student of heroics and bravery. He was skinny, almost scrawny looking, and he wasn't as fluent with a sword as the others, but he still topped pretty much all the classes. He wasn't as confident socially as the others boys were, but as long as he knew his friends had his back he was fine.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Sky asked, and his three friends paused for a second to once again to take in his face. It was really amazing how much just a swollen nose could alter the way a person looked (1). "Oh shut up."

"I said nothin'," Riven grinned, rather pleased with his handy work. Or would it be called footy work?

"I say we go to Magix," Brandon suggested.

"What's in Magix?" Sky asked.

"Nothing really. I just reckon that it might be nice to spend our last day of freedom in the city. We can hit the shops, or the arcade or the pool hall or something. You know, just as an escape to be normal before school starts."

"You think you're going to find normal in Magix?" Riven questioned. Even when you ignored the different races and species of people, the unlimited use of magic and the advanced technology, there were some real weirdoes in Magix. The last time they had gone into the city, they met a man who kept telling them he could see straight through his hands.

"At least it isn't school."

"Good point."

"So we going?"

"That's up to Timmy," Sky said matter-of-factly.

"Me?" Timmy exclaimed, while Brandon and Riven wore similar looks of surprise and confusion.

"Yeah, you're the only one who hasn't used your . . .What did you call it Riven? 'Do As I Say' token? Yeah. So this one's your shout."

"Er, okay," Timmy stammered, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He was never really comfortable whenever his friends pushed the leadership role onto him. He was more content following orders and helping in any way possible. "Um, yeah? We'll go to Magix."

Ignoring the uncertain tone Timmy had, Sky jumped to his feet and held the spoon he had been eating his cereal with in the air like a sword. He thought he looked pretty impressive, but his friends still rolled their eyes at his behavior. "To Magix!"

* * *

"What about that one?"

Riven glance over at the girl Sky was pointing at and took in all her details. Her hair had been coloured recently, her nails were fake, she wore shoes that cost upwards of a hundred and fifty dollars, designer jeans and as she walked past the four boys sitting in the park, Riven got the faint scent of an extremely expensive perfume.

"No way. She's one hundred percent plastic," Riven informed the prince, taking another slice of the pizza the boys were sharing for lunch.

"But she looks loaded," Sky complained.

"Oh yeah, she's rich. But that's not what I'm looking for."

"What are you looking for?"

"Someone like him," Riven answered around a mouthful of pizza, pointing across the park to a man in a suit.

"Him?"

"Yeah, check him out. That's suit his wearing is not only hideous, it's probably second hand. His shoes are scuffed, but relatively expensive, which means he's not dirt poor but he's got some cash which he certainly isn't using to buy shampoo. All in all, he's ideal."

"Man, pick pocketing is a lot harder than I thought it was," Sky sighed, throwing the crust of his pizza back into the box. "I still don't get why you wouldn't steal from that rich girl."

"I told you, she carries plastic, not cash. You gotta be practical about it dude. If you're stealing bank cards you need electronics to get the cash, and I don't go near credit cards. They leave a trail. However, if you pinch from a guy who's bound to have notes in his wallet which is usually someone who's well off but not rolling in it, you can just walk away and they can't trace you. It's an art form, really."

"If you guys are finished discussing who you would rob if given half the chance, maybe we can go and do something?" Brandon suggested, closing the now empty pizza box and sliding off the picnic table.

"You're a hard one to please Brandon." Sky grinned, also getting to his feet. "I mean, first you got all worked up when we were rating the girls that walk by and now you don't like us choosing potential ATM's. You gotta lighten up a bit, bro."

"Yeah. Lighten up Brandina. Brandean? Is that a name?" Riven stumbled, trying to find a girls name in order to insult his friend.

"I'm not sure," Timmy pondered as the group headed off into the city. "What is the female counterpart to the name Brandon?"

"I dunno," Sky shrugged. "Brandy?"

"That's a drink," Riven corrected.

"It's a name as well," Sky shot back. Then a horribly mischief smile spread across the princes face, and he looked back at his squire slyly. "Actually, wouldn't the female counterpart to Brandon be something like _Bloom?_"

"Shut up," Brandon said, a bit of colour coming to his cheeks.

"Shut up about what? Was it something about _Bloom_, bro?_ Bloom?" _Sky continued to tease his friend. It was clear to all of them that the red head had had an immediate impact on the blonde, and they had spent the whole night before tormenting him. Sky had known Brandon since childhood, so he was well aware that his friend could be a bit of a sap from time to time, but he had never seen him get so smitten with a girl so fast. And although Sky wished for the best for his oldest friend, he knew there was no way this was only to be easy.

"Just shut up," Brandon ordered quietly, dropping behind the others as they headed towards Arcadium, a pool hall and games arcade on Stadium Street.

Brandon knew he was in deep with Bloom. He didn't even know the girl and yet he couldn't get her off his mind. If he found out a girl had become that infatuated with him after one meeting, he'd probably freak out a bit. He didn't want to scare Bloom off and if he knew his friends as well as he thought he did, they wouldn't drop it just because he wanted them too. In fact, they'd probably do the opposite.

Lagging behind his friends, Brandon was so caught up in his thoughts he nearly ran headlong into a street lamp. Pausing to clear his mind, Brandon looked ahead to make sure he could still spot his friends. Sky was fiddling with his phone and Riven walked along side him calmly ignoring anything Sky told him, but Timmy had stopped to wait from Brandon.

Brandon was just about to catch up to his friends, when he happened to glance into the ally next to him, and saw something that made him pause again. Justin was there with the goons he liked to call friends. Over the years, Justin had collected students that looked like future hit men to follow him around and do his dirty work. They were all on the school's lacrosse team and they all seemed to take delight in torturing things.

Which is exactly what they were doing to a dirty, stay dog at that very moment.

Narrowing his eyes, Brandon stormed into the ally way. What kind of sick person found their entertainment in making others suffer? What were they trying to prove? The poor animal was extremely thin and weak, so it was helpless to defend itself. All it could do was lie down as low as possible and whine as the boys boots kicked into it. Brandon wasn't going to stand for something like this.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Brandon demanded, marching over to the small group of boys. They all stopped their attack on the dog, and a few recoiled from being caught doing something so wretched. Justin, however, showed no remorse as he jumped off the crates he had been perched on while watching his friends and approached Brandon.

"Nothing that concerns you, squire."

"I knew you were pathetic Justin, but I didn't think you were that low," Brandon spat back. The dog was apparently intelligent enough to recognize Brandon as being someone it could trust, and had bolted over to him to put the hero between it and its attackers.

"It's a bloody stray. It doesn't deserve the right to be protected. These filthy creatures are littering our streets, so we're actually doing this city a favor by getting rid of that mongrel. So why don't you keep moving blondie and leave us to our fun?"

"It's a pretty sick type of entertainment," a voice behind Brandon said, and a second later Timmy was standing along Brandon, facing down Justin and his goons.

Justin grinned. "Would you look at that, Marcus? Super Squire and Ultra Nerd; the Defenders of the Weak and Pathetic. It's fitting seeing as they're such loser's themselves. Seriously, I'm shaking in my boots."

"Terrifying," Marcus, the only member of Justin's group that wasn't built like a thug, grinned. Marcus was more like some kind of rodent; small, fast and narrow faced, and he had an extremely quick mind.

"Just leave the dog alone," Brandon ordered.

"Why?" Justin sneered, giving Brandon a small push. "What are you going to do, squire? You're a second class citizen. I don't have to listen to a thing you say, you filthy peasant."

"Hey! Back off!" Timmy demanded.

"Or what? You'll create some computer program and make me pay? Don't make me laugh. You guys are pathetic just like that dog. You can't get much lower then associating with strays," Justin spat, and his friends laughed. But that laughter was quickly cut short when there came a voice from the head of the ally way.

"Now what is that supposed to mean?"

Justin visibly pale when he saw the way Riven was glaring at him from where he stood next the Sky. Riven and Sky were the only people in the grade Justin wasn't willing to insult; Sky because of his rank, and Riven because of his fighting abilities and temper even though he did in fact have pretty much the lowest rank at Red Fountain. It was common knowledge that Riven had spent most of his childhood on the streets, but no one would dare rub it in his face if they didn't want to be hospitalized.

"I-I-I was r-r-referring to the dog," Justin sputtered, taking a step backwards.

"Are you calling us dogs?" Sky questioned, stalking over the stand with Brandon and Timmy, followed closely by a rather menacing looking Riven. "That's not very nice."

"Look, this doesn't concern you so – " Marcus stared, but he was cut of by Riven.

"Were we talking to you, Marc-_ass­_?"

"And excuse me, but if you dis our friends it becomes our concern, kay?" Sky told them in a cheery tone that had a hint of steel in it. "What were you doing anyway?"

"They were beating up this dog," Brandon answered, looking down at the scrawny animal. It was still crouched behind him, its soft eyes looked about wide and fearful.

"Didn't they pass some law a few years back about banning and punishing that kind of thing?" Riven asked, death glaring Rowan, one of the thugs he had a particular dislike for.

"They sure did," Timmy nodded. "It comes with a maximum penalty of five years in jail." (2)

"That's gotta suck," Sky noted. "Going to jail for torturing puppies and kittens. I'd love to see the other inmates reaction when you tell 'em why you got locked up, Justin."

"And I would have thought you would have been more sensitive about animal right, bird boy," Riven grinned maliciously.

"_Carr carr! Carr carr!_" Sky crowed, making Justin go an interesting shade a red.

"You're going to regret this," Justin hissed through clenched teeth.

"Oh, I'm terrified, Captain Crow," Sky spat sweetly, mocking Justin's earlier reference to superheroes. "Chase 'em off, Riv."

Riven didn't even take one step and the lacrosse players bolted. Riven, however, looked more like he was going to beat up Sky then any of them.

"I am not your muscle," he snarled, death glaring his friend.

"Oh come on. You scared them off without doing anything. They're terrified of you. I thought you enjoyed that kind of thing."

"You've already got Brandon as your little errand boy. I'm not taking orders from you just because you happened to be born into the right family, if that's what you're thinking."

"How's the dog?" Timmy asked Brandon, blocking out the other two. It was a pretty little thing with a cream coloured coat under the filth it had collected during its time on the street. It had big, soft brown eyes that were fixed on Brandon in a completely trusting manner.

"I think its fine, just scared, hungry and in good need of a bath," Brandon answered, slowly reaching out his hand and patting the animals head. "Who's a good doggy? Huh? Who's a good doggy?"

"If you're finished sweet taking the dog can we decide on what we're going to do with it now?" Riven asked, his arms folded across his chest.

"Take it to an animal shelter?" Timmy suggested.

"But don't they put dogs down if they're not adopted after a week?" Sky asked.

"They don't do that anymore," Timmy corrected.

"It's not going to an animal shelter," Brandon told them firmly, scratching the dog behind one of its ears. The dog stared at him with those lovely brown eyes that made Brandon's heart melt. "We'll take it back to Red Fountain with us."

"Are you mad?" Riven demanded. "Codatorta's going to freak, and I'm not sure if you're aware that Justin goes to our school. You stopped them from killing it only to bring it back to live with them."

"It isn't going to live with them. It'll live with us."

"Oh, great. That just what we need; another roommate that'll stink our room out."

"Dude, you stink our room out and we still put up with you," Sky said dryly, and Riven death glared him again. "And we'll talk to Codatorta. He'll understand."

"How are you going to get it home?" Timmy asked.

"I'll carry it in front of me on my levi bike," Brandon told them. "I'll have to drive slow, but then we'll take it back to Red Fountain, and give it a feed and a bath. How does that sound, buddy? Sound good to you? Yesh it does. Yesh, yesh, yesh."

"Oh gods," Riven groaned, but Timmy and Sky grinned. That dog was pretty cute in itself, but the way Brandon was carrying on with it and the way it was looking at him was just plain adorable.

"Please guys. Can we keep it?" Brandon begged, giving his friends some puppy dog eyes which the dog seemed to copy. How could they say no to that?

* * *

"I can't believe you managed to get Codatorta to agree to letting you keep him," Riven said, watching the newest addition to their little group sniff out its new home. Once they had given it a bath, the dog turned out to be a pretty little creature, and it followed Brandon around like a shadow.

"It's a her, not a him," Timmy corrected his friend.

"Like I care?" Riven shrugged. "What are you going to call him?"

"_Her_," Brandon stressed. "I thought you knew the difference between the two."

"Oh shut up."

"But come on, even by looking at it you can tell she's a lady dog," Sky grinned, before bursting into song. "She's a lady! Whoa, whoa, whoa! She's a lady!"

"She is a lady, isn't she?" Brandon agreed, stopping his friend from singing another verse. "That's what we'll call her; Lady."

"That's a stupid name," Riven instantly objected.

"It'll stop you getting confused," Brandon shot back, and was rewarded with being shot the middle finger. But Brandon ignored it and reached over to scratch his new pet behind the ears. "It's nice to meet you, Lady."

Lady simply wagged her tail at him, her eyes full of love.

* * *

_1) – this actually true. Once I punch my boyfriend in the nose (totally by accident. We were goofing around and he was closer than I though he was and **wham**!) and although I felt bad I was hesitant to kiss him the day after because he didn't look like him. He started to think I didn't like him any more, but I think was mostly because I accidentally hit him a second time when we were demonstrating to a friend why he had a swollen nose. It was an accident, I swear!_

_2) – in Australia they did pass a law on animal cruelty with a maximum penalty after a series of attacks on kittens. Personally, I think those dickheads should be shot._

_TBC._


	3. Save the First Dance

_One thing I think we were all cheated out of was the introduction to the rest of the Winx Club to the guys. With the exception of Bloom, there are no introductions made and yet when they're hunting the troll in the Black Mud Swamp they're all seem to know each other and Timmy seems to be crushing Tecna when they haven't even spoken to one another. I'm sure the idea of love at first sight is very appealing, but I know enough gorgeous people who are total asses to believe that cupid shouldn't shoot his arrows based on sight alone. _

_Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind – William Shakespeare _

* * *

**Chapter Three – Save the First Dance **

"Dude! Where's my friggin' boot!" Sky stressed, lying on his stomach as he searched under his bed of his missing foot ware. The transport to Alfea would be leaving soon, and he still wasn't completely dressed. "There you are!"

"Are you alright bro?" Brandon asked as he finished adjusting his uniform. "You seem a bit stressed out. I mean, come on man, it's just a school dance."

"Just as school dance? _Just a school dance?!_" Sky repeated, crawling out from under his bed. "This dance just happens to be the first social event Red Fountain has with Alfea. It's the only chance we have at a first impression for the year. If it gets messed up the girls are going to remember it from now until prom, so I am not going to waste this opportunity."

"Is this about Stella?"

"Of course it's about Stella!" Sky snapped, sitting down on his bed to pull his boot on. Once he had managed to get it on, he signed deeply and tried to collect himself. "I just want to make a good impression, that's all."

"You really like her, don't you?"

"Yeah," Sky nodded. Timmy and Riven were off having a last minute shower, so Sky didn't feel afraid to open up and admit his true feelings around his oldest friend. "But . . . do I even have a chance with a girl like that?"

"Of course you do, bro. Why wouldn't you?"

"She's a princess."

"So?"

"Look, bro, can we just drop this whole act for one minute?" Sky begged. "What happens when the truth comes out? What happens when she finds out I've been lying to her all this time? What happens when she finds out I'm not who she thinks I am?"

Brandon sighed, running his hand through his blonde hair. He knew that eventually have to deal with this issue that they had placed them selves in, but he thought his friend was freaking out a bit too early. They weren't in any real trouble just yet. They could keep playing along a little longer.

"Hey, it'll be fine," Brandon told the brunette. "I mean, it's not like you guys are engaged or anything. Hell, you're not even officially dating, bro. And it's highly possible that she'll end up liking you for you."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Do you really want to be with someone that shallow?"

Sky looked glum as he pondered his position. "What about you, bro? What will you do if things start to heat up between you and that Earth girl? I know you've been thinking about her. Would you tell her the truth?"

"Aren't you jumping ahead a bit? I only met that girl for a second and we were a little preoccupied with a troll then. I mean, I don't even know if she even ended up making it to Alfea."

"Oh didn't I tell you that?" Sky asked, getting up to fix his hair.

"Tell me what?"

"Stella convinced Bloom's parents to let her go to Alfea."

"She did?!"

"Yeah. Since Bloom wasn't on the list, Stella decides to enroll her as Princess Veranda, who was supposed to go to Alfea this year but is being home-schooled instead. But they eventually came clean and Faragonda decided to let her stay in Veranda's place. Stella said that they've already gotten pretty close with their roommates, which is good because Stella had such an awful time last year with her old roommates. Seriously, what is with those sophomores? You remember – "

"When did you learn all this?" Brandon interrupted, more interested in learning about Bloom than taking a trip down memory lane.

"Stella texted me that day we were in Magix, and I guess just forgot to tell you about it."

"So hang on, Bloom's going to be at the dance, isn't she?" Brandon thought out loud, trying to sort out the information he had just been given. "Does my hair look okay?"

"Stop being such a woman," Riven spat as he and Timmy entered the room and caught the end of Brandon's thinking. "Seriously dude, there's no reason to jump through all those hoops for them."

"So says Mr. Sensitive," Sky smirked from his bed. "P.S. Riven, don't even think of wearing that uniform you wore in practice today. It smells like stale sweat and motor oil."

"Tough luck. I'm all out of clean uniforms."

"No you're not," Brandon told him. "We washed your clothes."

"You did what?" Riven gasped, noticing the pile of clean laundry at the end of his bed. "Why in the name of all things masculine would you do that?"

"Because whenever you run out of clothes you end up stealing ours, and I'm sick of you big, fat head stretching out the necks of my shirt!"

"Fair enough," Riven shrugged, pulling out a clean uniform from the pile. "You know, you're going to make a good little house wife one day, Brandon."

"Are you at least going to make an effort for the fairies this year?" Sky asked as he watched Riven pull on his uniform despite the fact that he was still only half dry.

"Um, no," Riven answered as if it was bleeding obvious. Shaking his head to dry his hair like a dog, Riven dropped onto his bed in order to pull on his boots. "There, I'm ready."

"You're impossible."

"Hey, like I said, I'm not going to jump through hoops for some skirt like you. It's pathetic."

"You say that now, but one day you'll find the right girl – or guy, I dunno – and you'll become just as pathetic as us, and I will be there laughing and say 'I told you so' because I'm a friend, and that's what friends do for each other," Sky grinned. He liked staring death in the face.

"I'm going to kill you for so many reasons," Riven told the brunette in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Remember Riven; deep breaths and count to ten," Sky instructed. "And lighten up. Tonight will be fun. We'll get some food. Listen to some good music. Meet some girls and ask them to dance."

"Oh? Is hell expecting a cold front?" Riven asked. There was no way in hell fire he was going to dance. "I'm not making myself look like a fool to please some pixie."

"I'll say," Timmy agreed. He was even more social challenged than Riven and he was not really looking forward to tonight. He remembered the dance last year; the Alfea freshmen's (now sophomores) were an unusually bitchy group of fairies and Timmy could still remember how a group of them had cornered him and verbally sliced him up. He just hoped the freshmen's this year weren't as scary as the ones last year.

"Oh Timmy," Sky sighed, shaking his head. "You need to stop exposing yourself to such negative influences. It's warping your fragile little mind!"

Any comment any of the boys may have had to that – be it kind or otherwise – was cut off by a loud, deep bell chiming through the school, signaling that the boys were due to assemble in the hanger where their transport to Alfea was waiting for them.

"Shall we boys?" Brandon asked with an innocent smile. Without bothering to reply, the boys headed off towards the hanger.

* * *

Alfea was just as Brandon recalled. Both magnificent and inviting, it sparkled like a jewel through the night. It had the strength of Red Fountain, but with that extra level of beauty and grace that the school for heroics and bravery lacked. It also possessed a certain level of tranquility that was not present at Red Fountain. At the boys school everyone seemed to rival everyone else, while at Alfea everyone seemed harmonized.

"It's so domestic it makes you sick, doesn't it?" Riven spat as the group of boys walked across the school grounds to the hall where the dance was being held.

"It's not all that bad," Brandon said, taking in the building before him, knowing that somewhere within those walls was a certain red head with the most amazing blue eyes. But unbeknown to him, said red head with the most amazing blue eye was watching him at that very moment.

"It's not bad at all," Sky agreed in a slightly dazed voice, and a foolish grin spread across his face as he caught sight of the object of his affection. Princess Stella looked stunning in a dress that made her look like a sun beam. Like a golden ray, she cut through the crowd with breathless charm, but unlike last year, she was surrounded by a group of girls. Stella was never unpopular, but she had never been able to connect to her peers. But it looked as though it wasn't the case with these girls.

"There are a few new faces this year," Timmy noted, taking in a few of the new girls.

"And I few old ones," Brandon mumbled, spotting one particularly scary sophomore he had had a few run ins with the year before.

"Not to mention the same nauseating act guys put on the try and impress these pixies," Riven snickered. "Check out Toby hitting on that blonde over there. It's hilarious the stuff he's comin' out with."

"Let's go," Sky grinned. "I'm up for a laugh."

"Um, you guys go ahead. I'm going to take a look around," Brandon told his friends, scanning the room.

"Okay. If we see Bloom we'll let you know," Timmy smirked, and Brandon found his cheeks start to heat up. While he wondered if his infatuation with Bloom was so transparent, he also realized that Sky was right; Timmy's mind was indeed being warped by negative influences.

While Brandon searched for the red head that had been running through his thoughts over the last few days, he managed to catch small bits of the conversations that were buzzing around the room. Most were only small talk, but they all seemed to be pushing towards giving off a good impression that would hopefully lead them into a successful year in regards to the opposite sex. And as always, there was a fair bit of truth stretching.

"Well, for me, the dragon rodeo," Toby answered smugly to a question of his favorite place to test his dragon riding skills. The blonde he was trying to chat up was impressed, though Brandon had to try and cover a laugh. Dragon rodeo? Yeah right. Toby was in the schools dragon riders club, but he had never been near a mustang dragon let alone ridden one.

Brandon was still trying to muffle his laugh when he felt someone run into him from behind. Turning around, Brandon nearly chocked on his tongue when he saw that rich, red hair he had been searching for. She was still dressed in her casual clothes, but Brandon thought she looked stunning. After rubbing her head after colliding with his behind, she looked up at him with those beautiful blue eyes.

"Hey," Bloom smiled. She was clearly happy to see him, but she did seem a little preoccupied.

"I was looking for you," Brandon admitted, then silently cursed himself for being so forward. He'd probably freak her out now.

"You were?"

She seemed surprised, but not freaked. Letting out a tiny sigh of relief, Brandon decided to try and secure some time alone with her so they could have an actual conversation. "Hey, would you like to dance?"

"Yeah for sure," Bloom agreed, making Brandon's hopes soar dramatically. However, that thrill was squashed slightly as she ducked past him and ran off into the crowd.

"Okay?"

What just happened there? It seemed like it had gone well. She had agreed to dance with him and she didn't seem put off by the close encounter with his butt, but then she had run off. Brandon didn't know what to make of it. He was so confused and distracted he even asked the most unlikely person for relationship advise.

"You need to stop bleaching your hair," Riven told him. "I think it's starting to affect your brain."

"I don't bleach my hair, Riven."

"Then how do you explain the stupid question?"

"Never mind. I don't know why I even thought of asking you how I could approach a girl. You have the most extraordinary ideas about the way to behave to a woman, and not in a good way," Brandon told his friend in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"The only way to behave to a woman is to make love to her, if she is pretty, and to some one else, if she is plain." (1)

"That is nonsense, and not to mention horrible," Brandon gasped. "You know, Sky's right; one day you're gonna find yourself a good girl that you really like and it'll change your rotten attitude completely."

"What? Like your red head? Not bloody likely. If I happen to find this girl that you seem to be so certain exists and she's turn me into a fool like how Sky behaves whenever Stella's around, I'll purposely sabotage it."

"Why do you always ruin everything that's good for you?"

"I dunno, it's just what I do. How do you not know me by now? So, I'll let you and Sky run off and have your little day dreams, but I think I'm quite fine here in reality."

"Ah, what a romantic you are," Brandon commented with great sarcasm.

"I just think it's all so pathetic," Riven said, noticing Timmy and Sky carrying in the chest of magical eggs that the specialists had brought to give to the girls as a present. "I mean, you can't tell me that the girls are actually impressed by this crap we give them. It's so tacky."

"We hope you like the gifts we brought you," Sky said to the girls after he and Timmy put down the chest. As he opened the chest, he noticed that the eggs seemed different for some reason. The markings on the eggs had changed slightly, but maybe that had something to do with the magic inside them.

Sky scanned the room as he reached into the chest and picked out an egg. He planned to use these eggs as an excuse to approach Princess Stella. He hadn't spoken to her so far tonight, so he hoped to casually yet charmingly present her with her gift, but he couldn't see her. He was so focused on his search, that he didn't notice the golden light that was directed towards the eggs, transforming them from the snake rat back to their original form.

Wordlessly, Sky handed an egg to one of the fairies, who looked at it rather suspiciously.

'Oh come on. What's it gonna do? Bite you? It's an egg for crying out loud,' Sky thought to himself as he handed out a few more eggs. But his brown eyes suddenly widened as he spotted the blonde he had been searching for. Ignoring all the fairies delight squeals, ooh's and ahh's and that's so sweet, Sky ducked his way through the crowd, his look determined.

"Spells are exhausting," Stella sighed as Sky crept up behind her. She was in one of the hallways just outside the party with four other girls. One of the girls Sky instantly recognized as the girl from Earth, Bloom, who was still in her causal clothes, but the other three girls Sky didn't know, though he was pretty sure that they must be the other girls that shared their dorm.

But he didn't have time to stress about that now. Taking deep breaths and trying to stop the palms of his hands from sweating, Sky swallowed hard and decided to just do it. As smooth as possible, Sky approached Princess Stella and held out an egg that he had taken from the chest to give to her.

"This ones for you."

"Huh?" Stella asked turning those honey eyes that always made Sky's knees weak towards him. They widen slightly when she saw the egg he was holding out to her, but she didn't seem surprised when she saw the gift, which puzzled Sky slightly. But whatever was going on inside the Princesses head, she took the egg regardless. "Oh, how cute. An enchanted little egg. Thank you."

"Let me see it," one of Stella's roommates who had her dark hair in pig tails that Sky didn't know the name of ordered, taking the egg off of Stella. Brandon felt a small jerk of annoyance seeing as he purposely sort out Stella to give her that egg. But the pig tailed fairy took no notice. "Flora, do you remember that tundra spell in Teen Fairy?"

"Yeah I sure do," the girl with long brown hair replied, which meant her name must be Flora. "I can use it to give those witches a taste of there own magic. It'll turn the thing they covet into the thing they hate."

"Alright, go for it," Pig Tails said handed the egg over to this Flora girl while Sky tried to sort out his thoughts. Did he miss something? Witches? Taste of their own magic? What? Sky thought that no witches were invited to this dance.

"We'll put the egg in the ring case and _shmoo ron ra rabu_," (2) Flora spelled onto the egg, and Sky suddenly felt crestfallen. He had given that egg to Stella as a gift, and this Flora girl just cursed it. That wasn't even remotely near how he had planned it to happen.

"Hold on, what was that?" Bloom unconsciously voiced the question that Sky was thinking.

"That was the June Spell of the Month from Teen Fairy," Flora answered the Earth girl and sending Sky deeper into confusion. "Hey you should get into your dress now?"

"Yeah. Totally. I've just got to finish making a few adjustments on it first," Bloom confessed. "Oh, hi Prince Sky. It's good to see you again."

"Um, yeah. Hi. It's good to see you too," Sky waved, still a bit lost.

"We'll have to catch up later, but I have got go get ready. I promised Brandon a dance and I don't want to stand him up for too long. See ya!" Bloom said, before turning and running off back towards her room.

"Thanks again for the egg," Stella said to Sky, looking at the egg that was still in Flora's hands. "Sorry we had to use it for our little revenge, but I can assure you that it was totally worthwhile."

"I'm sure it was," Sky assured her, rubbing the back of his head. "Um, what were you girls doing exactly?"

"A group of senior witches from Cloud Tower snuck into the school and put a spell on the eggs which would result in a snake rat coming out instead of your enchanted butterflies. We managed to successfully change the eggs to their original state, as well as giving those witches a little pay back," the girl with pink hair told him evenly.

"Okay. Um, two questions; what's a snake rat and what did you do to the witches?"

"Snake rats are monsters which will give anyone a case of sever projectile vomiting when bitten," the pink hair girl told him, and Sky felt a bit nauseous just at the thought.

"Man, that's a pretty cruel joke to play on a person. And I'd imagine that us guys would be blame for it considering that we gave to eggs to you girl, huh?" Sky pondered. All the girls nodded. "So what did you do to the witches?"

"I put a baby duck into the egg," Flora smiled sweetly. "When that egg hatches, the first person it sees it'll think is its mother and follow her constantly. How adorable would one of those mean old witches look walking around Cloud Tower while being trailed by a little duckling?"

"I estimate a one hundred percent chance of irritation," Pink Hair told her friends, and her manner of talking about percentages and chances reminded Sky a lot of Timmy.

"They're goin' be so ticked!" Pig Tails smirked with malicious delight. Stella grinned at her friends, but her expression became one of horror as she suddenly realized something.

"Oh no! I've been so rude! Prince Sky, these are my roommates for this year. This is Flora," Stella introduced to the girl with the long light brown hair and who had put the spell on the egg. Flora waved and gave a shy little giggle. "Tecna."

"Hello," Pink Hair nodded. Sky could tell from her name and clothes that she was from a wired realm so she had to be a digital fairy. Sky figure he should really introduce her to Timmy so they could talk their computer mumbo jumbo to one another. Timmy had to be getting tired about talking technology with people who had no idea what he was going on about.

"And Princess Musa from the Harmonic Nebular," Stella said, gesturing to Pig Tails.

"Hey-ya!" Musa beamed, and Sky felt a bit taken back. She was a _princess?_ No way! Sky was no stranger to royalty, and this musical fairy did not fit that mould. But he had heard people say that the Harmonic Nebular had gotten rather relaxed about that kind of thing over the last decade or so.

"Guys, this is Prince Sky of Eraklyon."

"Hi," Sky smiled at the girls, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Things weren't moving as smoothly as he hoped them to be, and although Stella's new friends seemed nice enough, he really wanted to get Stella on her own for a bit too.

"Wait. Are you one of the guys that help Stella and Bloom back on Earth?" Flora asked.

"That's me. But I had some help so it was easy."

"Yeah. Battling a troll's a real walk in the park. And where's this Brandon Bloom's been gushing over?" Musa questioned, and Sky made a mental note to pass that bit of information onto his best friend.

"I'm not sure," Sky confessed, scanning the room for his friends. "If I knew where he was I'd be happy to introduce you to him. I mean, I'd introduce you to Riven and Timmy as well, but it appears I've misplaced my friends."

"Tell me about it," Stella sighed. "We've been misplacing Bloom all night. Dress dramas."

"Yeah, well, you appear to be immune to that kind of thing. You look stunning in that dress," Sky beamed at her, trying to turn the conversation towards something more flirtatious.

"Oh, thank you," Stella said coyly. She had gone very bashful at his comment, but she seemed to be delighted at the same time. Her friends just smirked slyly at her. "You're not half bad either."

"Oh, this isn't anything new," Sky told her, plucking at his uniform. He swallowed hard and tried to calm his nerves as he forced himself to ask her the question he had been dying to ask all night. "So, Princess, may I have the honor of leading you in a dance?"

Stella and her friends giggled at his attempted to be formal, but Stella extended her flawless hand out to him. "You may."

* * *

Timmy sighed as he watched Sky and Princess Stella continue to dance through another song. Sky had managed to lead her to the dance floor several songs back and they were yet to be interrupted. The two were chatting softly over the music to one another, and seemed oblivious to the fact that anyone else was in the room with them.

In contrast, Timmy was alone and painfully aware that everyone else around him were busy socializing with one another. Brandon was off trying to find Bloom, Riven had retreated to find his own solitude and Sky was enthralled with the Princess in his arms, leaving Timmy on his own to watch them as he sat silently to one side of the dance floor.

He officially sucked at these social things.

He would have let out another deep sigh, but he was beaten to it by the person sitting not far from him. Glancing at the girl for a nano second, Timmy could tell that her eye line was directed at the same couple he had been watching. In a slightly out of character boldness, Timmy decided to try and make an attempt at small talk with the girl.

"They look good together, don't they?"

"Pardon?" the girl asked.

"Stella and Sky. They both look so . . ." Timmy trailed off as he looked at the girl, and he left his mouth go dry. Her turquoise eyes seemed to bore into him and they were overflowing with indigence and the never ending questioning. Her pale skin was slightly angelic, and her hair was the most intriguing shade of pink. "B-Beautiful."

She left him speechless.

"They do look good together," the girl agreed, glancing at the pair, but she shyly returned her gaze to Timmy's slightly smudged glasses. "I think Stella has a bit of a crush on him, to be perfectly honest."

"S-She a friend of yours?"

"And roommate," she nodded.

"No way. Me too!" Timmy said enthusiastically, then mental kicked him self. "I mean, Sky. Not Stella. But I'm a friend of Stella, but not her . . . You know? S-Sky. Sky's my roommate."

If Riven was here, he would hit Timmy for that pathetic excuse for a sentence, and Timmy would probably welcomed it.

"Oh, so you're Sky's friend," the girl noted, glancing at the prince, and Timmy felt his hopes sink. Of course a girl like her was attracted to a guy like Sky. Sky was cool, confident and royalty, not a computer nerd like Timmy.

"Yeah. You've met?"

"Briefly, and that was mostly spent with him and Stella flirting shamelessly," the girl said in a somewhat indifferent matter which indicated to Timmy that she wasn't upset by that. Clearly she didn't like Sky in the way Timmy first suspected. "But we did get a small bit of a conversation out of him, which is why I assume you must be either Riven or Timmy."

"I'm Timmy," Timmy introduced himself with a slight laugh of the thought of him being mixed up with Riven. "You can tell me and Riven apart pretty easily. Riven can beat me easily in combat class, but I'm faster at him in computer class. Um, but I guess that's nothing to great, you know?"

"I'm Tecna," the girl told him, cutting off his nervous babbling. "And I don't think anyone can call computers 'nothing great'."

"Nice to meet you, Tecna," Timmy smiled, thrilled at the thought that someone like her might have an interest in computers, and he held out his hand to her.

"It's nice to meet you," Tecna said somewhat shyly, but she accepted his hand and shook it. Her skin was so smooth under his calloused fingers, and Timmy felt a goofy grin and a small amount of heat gather in his cheeks. Reluctantly, he let go of her hand, but he felt a bit more confident in talking with her.

"So I take it you're a freshmen since I think I'd remember you if you were at Alfea last year."

"That's correct. It's my first time away from my realm on my own to be exact. I've traveled here with my family in the past, but this is my first time alone. I just hope I don't get too home sick."

"Where's home?"

"Zenith."

"A Realm of Technology? That's amazing. I'm from Windox, (3) so we've probably got a lot in common. What are you interested in?"

"Um, well, I enjoy inventing programs and digital gizmos," Tecna answered in an almost embarrassed kind of way. But Timmy was thrilled and intrigued by it.

"No way. I actually created a new program over my summer break."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Timmy said, suddenly become a bit self conscious. "Um, actually, I created two."

"Two programs over one summer break? That's very impressive."

"You think so?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"My friends laughed at me when I told them," Timmy said bashfully.

"I'm sure they don't understand true talent," Tecna told him evenly, and Timmy felt a smile start to spread across his face. Was it possible that he had managed to find a girl with both beauty and brains? Did she really care about this kind of thing? Was it all an act? "Please, tell me about your programs, Timmy."

As Timmy began to talk, he quickly discovered it wasn't an act. Tecna not only understood what he was talking about, but she was also extremely interested in what he was saying.

Was this his own personal heaven?

* * *

Riven was in his own personal hell.

After he managed to get away from Brandon and his annoying chatter, Riven had taken to hiding in a secluded part of the hall. He leaned with his back against the wall and his arms folded across his chest while softly banging his head on the wall behind him in a measured beat; an act he figured would destroy less brain cells then trying to engage himself in a conversation with one of these harpies. He had been told once that banging your head against a wall uses one hundred calories an hour (4), so at least he was being productive and it made him ponder a few things; who volunteers for trying to find out that kind of thing? Do they get paid for their work? Who would pay them? Are there government funding for that kind of research?

Riven rubbed his temple as he felt a headache forming, but wither it was banging the back of his head against the wall or the random question running through his brain he wasn't sure. Best if he just stopped both.

He was still trying to chase off the burning question of how they discovered that an ant will always falls over on its right side when intoxicated (5) and where would an ant find a bottle of alcohol small enough for it to drink from not to mention what would be in it, when Miss Faragonda made her way on stage. Riven always view the headmistress of Alfea as an ancient lady who looked like she had a fresh batch of cookies on hand, but her reputation stated that she wasn't something to be underestimated. Much like Saladin in that sense, and Riven found her sweet grandmother way a bit sickening.

"Fairies of Alfea and our guest from Red Fountain, may I please take this opportunity to welcome you all to the Annual Start of Year Dance," Faragonda greeted the crowd, who clapped enthusiastically. Riven did not join them. "I would also like to wish you all the best of luck with your schooling this year. I look forward to seeing you all grow in the next few months as well as the next few years as you are all ultimately our future."

"Gods," Riven groaned under his breath as another round of clapping and cheering erupted.

"To all the seniors, please use this year as best you can as it is your final year. Treasure every moment, because you will never have years like this again. Study hard, keep you friends close and be true to yourself. To our freshmen's, welcome to your high school education. We look forward to see you talents revealed to us and expand over the years to come."

"Gag me," Riven muttered to himself, but it was lost in the applause of the other students.

"And speaking of talent, we are fortunate to have a very gifted young lady from the Harmonic Nebular joining our freshmen year, and she has agreed to present us with a small display of her amazing skill at singing," Miss Faragonda told them all. "Please welcome onto the stage, Princess Musa."

Riven's eyes narrowed as a dark hair little freshmen made her way over to take the microphone off of her headmistress. This girl was so nervous Riven would almost smell it coming off her. Why in hell fire would she agree to do something that terrified her?

She was a pretty little thing, Riven would admit that, with a fantastic body. He wished her legs weren't so covered up so he could get a good look at them. If there was one thing he liked, it was a girl with a fine pair of legs. Her hair was pulled into pig tails, something Riven found surprising given her age, but they seemed to suit her for some reason. The high collar of her dress made her look a bit like a vampire, but apparently that was the look this season.

"H-Hey everyone!" the girl stuttered slightly, and Riven snorted a laugh. Was there anything funnier than public humiliation? Apparently yes; public humiliation for people who volunteered for it. Or would that be more pathetic than funny? Riven couldn't tell.

Riven was still trying to figure it out when the girl used her power to start up the music, Riven could tell that Faragonda had at least gotten one thing right; the girl had talent. The crowd of students clearly approved of the change in music. The DJ in charge of the dance's music was yet to play something with this kind of beat.

Joined by the music, the girl's confidence seemed to grow, and a distant look crossed her rather pretty face, as if she was going into a trance. Almost unconsciously, the girl started to sway her hips slightly, her mind lost in the music.

"_Hmm_. Not bad," Riven admitted to himself. At least she wasn't as nervous as she had been when she first walked out onto the stage. Mind you, she had to have some guts to get up in front of everyone when she hadn't even been at Alfea for a week. Exposing yourself like that took a lot of nerve, but having nerve didn't mean that she could sing. This pixie could be setting herself up for a burning, Riven realized.

But when the little pixie opened her mouth, Riven couldn't stop his eyes from widening slightly. The girl could sing after all.

_Barely move, I've arrived _

_Lookin' sexy, lookin' fly _

_Baddest chick, chick inside _

_DJ, jam tonight _

_Spotted me a tender thang _

_There you are, come on baby _

_Don't you wanna dance with me? _

_Can you handle, handle me? _

The very crowd who could have turned on her so easily seemed to like what they were hearing, and the dance floor became full. Riven didn't move from his place by the wall and his eyes never left the singer on stage. She was rather mesmerizing.

_You gotta do much better if you gonna dance with me tonight _

_You gotta work your jelly if you gonna dance with me tonight _

_Read my lips carefully if you like what you see _

_Move, groove, prove you can hang with me _

_By the looks I got you shook up and scared of me _

_Hook up your seatbelt, it's time for takeoff _

For some strange reason, Riven felt his mouth go dry and his pulse quicken slightly as the girls swaying moved into bolder dance moves. The girl knew how to move on her feet, but Riven couldn't seem to remove his eyes from her waist and hips as they rolled as smooth as honey. Occasionally, the girl would hit a move hard, and it was enough to jar Riven slightly out of his trance, but he would always just as quickly fall back into it.

_I don't think you're ready for this jelly _

_I don't think you're ready for this jelly _

_I don't think you're ready for this _

_Cause my body's too bootylicious for ya babe _

_I don't think you're ready for this jelly _

_I don't think you're ready for this jelly _

_I don't think you're ready for this _

_Cause my body's too bootylicious for ya babe _

Riven had no idea what this jelly she kept going on about was and he couldn't muster the concentration to figure out wither bootylicious was a word or not, but he really didn't care. The girl was bloody hypnotizing. Her dark eyes flashed smoldering to the crowd, almost challenging them.

Riven did always love a challenge.

_Baby, can you handle this? _

_Baby, can you handle this? _

_Baby, can you handle this? _

_I don't think you can handle this! _

A smirk slowly spread across Rivens lips as the girl did an excited little twirl, giving him a pretty good look at her assets. Her hair gave her an almost child like appearance, but she had the body of a woman.

"Damn," Riven gasped quietly to himself. His amazement continued as the girl kept singing and took a lead from the words into her dancing. Riven was slightly surprised to find him self breaking out into a sweat as her hands danced across her body.

_I'm about to break you off _

_H-town goin' hard _

_Lead my hips, slap my thighs _

_Swing my hair, square my eyes _

_Lookin' hot, smellin' good _

_Groovin' like I'm from the hood _

_Look over my shoulder, I blow you a kiss _

_Can you handle, handle this? _

A strange feeling swelled in Riven's stomach as the girl blew a kiss to the crowd. Searching through his hazy mind, Riven tried to remember the name Miss Faragonda had said when she had introduced the girl to the stage.

Slowly, it came to him as he continued to drink in the performance before him.

_Speaking of talent, we are fortunate to have a very gifted young lady from the Harmonic Nebular joining our freshmen year, and she has agreed to present us with a small display of her amazing skill at singing. Please welcome onto the stage, Princess Musa._

"Huh?" Riven gasped to himself, and he shook his head to try and clear his thoughts. A princess? Princess Musa. Princess Musa of the Harmonic Nebular. A princess. Heir to the royal throne. A princess.

Riven's mind reeled at the thought. How could a girl that hot be a princess? How could someone with that talent be destined to a life of royalty? How did he get so enthralled by someone so far out of his reach? He was honest enough to himself to admit that he was attracted to the girl, though he'd sooner suffer through pain of death than admit it to anyone else. He did not believe in the childish idea of love at first sight. Hell, he even had his doubts about love itself. It was an unreachable ideal that would always be a disappointment. Things don't happen like the way they do in fairy tales. Riven was a street rat, and he knew street scum do not intermingle with blue blood royalty in that way.

Pushing him self off the wall, Riven purposely turned his back on the princess that was still performing and headed outside. He'd just have to ignore her, which would be pretty easy. What were the chances of them ever crossing paths? Seriously? If he just kept his distance from her, he'd be fine. Everything would be fine.

_I don't think you're ready for this _

_Cause my body's too bootylicious for ya babe!

* * *

_

"Hey, Princess Stella!" Brandon called, heading over to the princess who was once again surrounded by the three girls he had seen her with before. "Um, you haven't seen Bloom, have you?"

"She's off getting changed," Stella told him. "She's got to put a few finishing touches on her dress or something. Apparently it's too long. Oh, girls, this is Prince Sky's squire, Brandon. Brandon, this is Tecna, Flora and Musa, my roommates for this year."

"Hello," each of the girls greeted warmly.

"Hey," Brandon smiled at them, before addressing the one called Musa. "I saw your hip hop performance. You're an awesome singer."

"Thanks," Musa beamed, but then her look became somewhat sly. "So, have you been looking for Bloom all night?"

"Er? Not all night," Brandon answered, feeling his cheeks start to heat up. He ran a nervous hand through his blonde hair. "I've also lost my friends somewhere in this crowd."

"Timmy and Sky are off getting us drinks," Stella informed the other blonde. "And I have no idea where Riven's snuck off to. It's a shame really. His sunny disposition is just what this party's missing."

Brandon had to laugh at that. "Yeah, well, I better go find the guys. I haven't really hung out with them all night."

"Sure. It was great meeting you," Flora said sweetly.

"And we'll tell Bloom you were looking for her when we see her," Stella added not quite so sweetly.

"Thanks girls. Nice meeting you all," Brandon waved, once again disappearing into the crowd. After several minutes of trying to fight his way through, Brandon finally made his way over to where Sky and Timmy were talking.

"So I noticed you and Tecna were getting pretty chummy there, Timster," Sky was grinning, and Timmy went several shapes of red brighter.

"We were just discussing our computers," Timmy mumbled, but his nervous tone indicated that it wasn't that innocent as he tried to make it out to be. Brandon smiled, delighted that Timmy had found someone that made him this nervous and uncomfortable.

"Well, there's nothing sexier then software, isn't that right Brandon?" Sky asked as the blonde joined the pair who was still supposed to be getting drinks but had become sidetracked with gossiping.

"What about hardware?"

"For some reason that just sounds nasty," Sky laughed with a devilish grin. "Hey, I managed to get a few dances and some serious flirting in with Princess Stella tonight, bro."

"Oh, well done."

"And Timmy charmed Tecna with his knowledge of megabytes and other things that go _bing_!"

"We were just talking," Timmy blushed furiously.

"Whatever. And Riven's managed to transform his skin into a light reflective substance that makes him appear invisible to the human eye. He's actually standing just over there, buck naked of course since he can only turn his skin invisible, not his clothes," Sky said, pointing over to an empty area of the hall.

"Really?" Brandon asked.

"Well, either that or he's walked off somewhere to avoid having to converse with people being the social little butterfly he is," Sky shrugged. "Hey, did you manage to find Bloom?"

"No," Brandon sighed sadly. "I saw her for like a second and she said she'd have a dance with me, but then she ran off again and I haven't seen her since."

"Maybe she's discovered how to transform her skin into a light reflective substance that makes her appear invisible to the human eye and she's over there naked with Riven as we speak?" Sky tried to comfort his friend.

"You know, shockingly, the idea of Bloom being off with Riven, with or without clothes, isn't making me feel any better, bro."

"Picky. And they wouldn't be able to see anything. Being invisible doesn't give you the ability to see other invisible people. Duh!"

"I may not be as educated with the laws of invisibility like you Sky, but I think I understand visibility fairly well, and all my knowledge had lead me to believe that Bloom just arrived," Timmy said, pointing to one of the doors. "Her skin doesn't appear to be invisible to the human eye, but she is wearing clothes which could be a bad thing depending on how you look at it."

Both Sky and Brandon stared at their normally shy friend.

"See, I told you software could be sexy," Sky reinstated, and Timmy flushed at the princes and his own comment. Sky smirked and reached over and tapped Timmy's glasses so they slide down his nose. "And what were you saying about understanding visibility fairly well?"

"Oh, shut up," Timmy said firmly as he pushed his glassed back up the bridge of his nose, but he was clearly struggling to keep from smiling at Sky's teasing little jest.

"Guys! What do I do about Bloom?" Brandon asked desperately as he watched Bloom talking with her friends. She really looked amazing in that dress. But Sky's comments about invisible skin and no clothes kept creeping into his mind, which wasn't necessarily bad though it did make Brandon feel a little sleazy. Luckily none of his friends could read minds.

"Dude, relax," Sky suggested. "Just go over there and ask her to dance again. Play it real cool. You'll be fine."

"You think?"

"Yes! Now go!" Sky ordered, shoving his friend in the direction of the red head. Brandon was nervous as he crossed the room towards the girl he had been thinking about constantly ever since he had first met her. She was even more breathtaking than he remembered, and that dress seemed to heighten her stunning appearance. Least he knew waste all those sleepless nights think about a memory he thought was accurate.

Nervously, Brandon reached out and tapped the red head on the shoulder.

"Huh?" Bloom said as she turned, and Brandon got another look at those blue eyes, and he felt his knees go weak. His fantasies about her had matched her details exactly. "Hi."

"Hey," Brandon smiled at her, trying to keep focused so he wouldn't end up just gawking at her. He was aware that there were a few other guys pushing for a chance to talk to this beautiful freshman, so Brandon knew he only really had one shot at this. Casually, he held out his hand to her. "You know you owe me a dance."

"Right, okay," grinned bashfully, placing her hands in his. Brandon took as small seconded to marvel at how warm and soft they were. He had dreamt of touching that skin, and he was not disappointed in the slightest. As causally has he could manage, Brandon lead her to the dance floor, and the pair began to dance together.

Brandon suddenly felt giddy as he held this gorgeous girl in his arms, and he let out a nervous little laugh before speaking. "So do you like Alfea?"

Bloom pondered the question for a second, and then nodded and smiled up at him, making his pulse quicken.

"Yeah. Yeah I do," Bloom told him, with a happy little smile as if she had only just discovered the answer herself. "I'm starting to feel right at home here."

"So, you're going to stay?"

"For sure."

It had taken him almost all night, but Brandon knew that this dance was totally worth the wait. Her perfume clouded his mind and made him slightly nervous, but he didn't care. He could almost feel himself fall deeper into his infatuation with this strange Earth girl, and he didn't even try and stop it from happening, regardless of the consequences.

* * *

_1) – the best Oscar Wilde quote from his play 'The Importance of being Earnest'_

_2) – it sounds like she's saying that, but I could be wrong_

_3) – Windox comes from the computer program Windows, but the X I think gives a bit more of a galaxy far, far away kind of feel. _

_4) – apparently, that's true_

_5) – again, apparently true. Why a bunch of scientist would want to spend a day getting ants pissed, I don't know but I'm sure it's for the plants greater good._

_And if you didn't guess that the song Musa sung was Bootylicious by Destiny's Child you don't win any bounus points. I love music but I can't follow all the different categories of music. I just like to listen to it, and according to my ipod the only hip hop music I have is Destiny's Child. _

_TBC_


	4. The Voice of Nature

_Yes, finally, a chapter with all the guys and girl together. There's a lot of extended scenes in this chapter, giving you guys the conversations and flirting we all wanted but the cartoon denied us all. Enjoy.

* * *

_

**Chapter Four – The Voice of Nature**

The hunter troll stood big and threatening in the Red Fountain dungeon. His chains held him in place, but he did not seem too happy about his current lodging and grumbled constantly under his foul smelling breath.

"He seemed bigger last time," Riven noted calmly as he and his three other friends stood before the monster. "They must not be feeding him enough."

"He's still pretty big," Brandon objected causally. He and the others appeared to be much more confident around the troll seeing as they had already defeated it and it was encaged. Some were of course more confident than others.

"Please. I could snap that thing in a second now, easy," Riven boasted.

"Okay," Sky nodded, his eyes narrowed in thought. "But if I remember correctly, last time the two of you went one on one, it was him doing the snapping, not you, bro."

Riven glared at the prince but was robbed of any chance to respond as it was in that moment that Headmaster Saladin and Professor Codatorta decided to grace their students with their presence. Saladin smiled warmly at his students, his saintly eyes wide and merry. Codatorta, however, glared sternly at them, as if daring them to even breathe wrong.

"Good morning, boys," Saladin greeted, and the four boys jumped to attention.

"Good morning, sir!" all answered briskly.

"I received a call from authorities in Magix yesterday, requesting if we could transfer this hunter troll you boys retrieved on Earth over to their hands. The authorities are very interested in where this troll came from and how it managed to transport itself to Earth. Now, you say he was working with an ogre?"

"That's correct sir," Sky answered for the group.

"That's interesting since ogres don't have any magic either, and yet you saw him teleport himself out of there. And it's also a matter of security seeing as it targets Princess Stella twice and attacked defenseless Earthlings," Saladin mused. "As it was you boys that originally restrained the troll and brought him to us, I think it's only fair that it be you who hand the troll over to the authorities. I think you can handle that now."

"You can count on us, sir!" Brandon assured the headmaster enthusiastically. This mission sounded real this time.

"Now I want to you lads to understand that this mission is not a simulation or a test. If you fail, you will be punished for it," Codatorta told them gruffly. "I personally believe that you boys aren't quite ready for this yet, but Headmaster Saladin has faith in you. You will transport the troll the Magix using one of the schools ships and then return straight home once your mission is complete. No joy rides, understand?"

"Yes sir!" all boys answered in unison.

"Your duties will be as follows; Timmy, you will be in charge of the trolls security. Prince Sky, you're the navigator. Brandon, co-pilot, which leaves Riven as ship pilot," Codatorta delegated.

"Yeah," Riven smirked, folding his arms across his chest smugly.

"You're meant to still be at attention, boy," Codatorta growled, and Riven's arms and smirk dropped. The combat master moved over so he was standing directly in front of the pilot and stared him right in the eye. "Just keep in mind that the only reason you've got your position is because you graded highest in the flight deck simulation, not because I think you can handle the responsibility. You'll be in charge of an expensive ship, and who do you think I'll hold responsible if anything happens to that ship? Don't do anything reckless, am I clear?"

"Yes sir," Riven answered, though he knew he wasn't going to listen to his professor. He was going to have some fun.

"You leave within the hour. Dismissed!"

* * *

"Whoo! Our first solo assignment!" Riven cheered, spending the ship into a double flip. He knew his ass was grass if he somehow crashed this thing, but there was no way he was going to miss the chance of have a ship completely in his hands without any teachers breathing down his neck. He did, however, have some good-two-shoes watching his every move which put a bit of a damper on things.

"Come on Riven. Easy on the flips," Brandon begged, clutching onto the panel in front of him. He had honestly believed that Riven would in fact behave himself this time, but he had been proven wrong. He wasn't that surprised, really.

"Next time don't eat right before the flight," Riven smirked, leveling out the ship. He really loved freaking his friends out. Timmy's knuckles had gone white in his effort to hang onto the chair he was sitting on even though the seatbelt meant he wasn't going anywhere.

"Yo!" Sky called, looking over the map in his hands. He had been the only one who had remained cool during Riven's little stunt, so he was the only one really focused on the mission. "Someone go check on the troll."

"I'm on it Sky," Timmy answered, duty winning over fear. Hesitantly, Timmy unclasped his seatbelt and headed toward the back of the ship where the troll was being held, silently praying that Riven wouldn't do anything stupid while he wasn't strapped in.

Brandon slowly rubbed his temples for a minute as he tried to suppress the urge to be sick. He was supposed to be co-pilot, but he really couldn't handle Riven's reckless flying. Still trying to collect himself, Brandon stared out the window to the ground below. It took him a few seconds to realize just what it was he was looking at.

"Isn't that the Black Mud Swamp down there?" he asked, trying to shake that feeling on dread he had in his stomach for some reason. "Are we sure we're going the right way?"

"Yup," Sky assured him, double checking the map just in case. "Magix is north of here."

Brandon knew his friend was right, but that didn't remove the uneasy feeling he had. "Something doesn't feel right."

Riven rolled his eyes slightly. Brandon could be such an old woman sometimes with all his fretting. "You worry too much Brandon. Everything's under control. Trust the captain."

"Captain?" Sky repeated with a grin. Trust Riven to promote him self.

"Let's see how fast this baby can go," Riven smirked to himself with gleaming eyes, increasing the speed and ignoring the disapproving look his friends gave him. They were enjoying this just as much as he was, he knew it. He heard Timmy re-enter the cabin from behind, and he stupidly took his eyes off what he was supposed to be doing to talk. He was just feeling that good about himself. "How's our big boy doing?"

"He's a little cranky but I'm sure he's – "

Whatever Timmy was about to say was cut off as the controls of the ship jerked madly and the entire ship shuttered. Timmy grabbed onto the back of Riven's chair in an attempt to stay on his feet, and the other boys quickly rounded on the control panel to try and figure out what just happened.

'Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!' Riven repeated over and over again in his mind. If anything happened to this hunk of junk, Codatorta was going to carve the expense out of Riven's ass. Why did he always have to be such a cocky son of a bitch?

"Keep you're eye on the sky Riven!" Timmy scolded, but Riven really didn't need to be told off. Frantically, he searched the controls, but he couldn't find anything on the monitor that would account for that kind of reaction.

"What was that?" Brandon gasped, also trying to figure out what went wrong. Riven had put the ship through more than that and it had worked fine. It would take more than some speed to make it fail like that. They didn't even have their engines running at maximum power so they weren't going that fast.

"Don't know, but it came from outside the ship," Sky said, looking out the window to see if he could spot something. Nothing was coming up on the monitors.

"That's impossible," Riven instantly dismissed. "If you knew how to operate this thing you'd know there's nothing on the sensors."

The impossible became possible, as the ship jerked again as though hit and Riven lost what little control he had over the ship. The ship started to hurl towards the swamp. Madly, Riven's fingers flew over the control to try and get their engines back on line.

"C'mon! C'mon!" he hissed between his teeth. Red Fountain didn't teach emergency landings till senior year since they required a certain level of experience, so Riven had no idea what he was doing. Hazard lights and alarms wailed as he tried to get some kind of response out of the ship. His friends were trying to brace themselves as the ground came closer. Furious at his own stupidity, Riven slammed his fist down on the controls. "Dammit!"

With a blast, the engines of the ship came to life just meters from the ground. They died out a second later, but the blast was enough to cushion their impact slightly, though Riven still slammed his head hard on the panel in front of him. No one moved for a second as they all tried to comprehend what had just happened to them. And then Brandon spoke.

"Anyone hurt?"

With a groan, Sky sat up. Timmy seemed alright even though he was the one in the most danger considering he wasn't strapped down to anything, and Riven looked fine though he was rubbing his head.

"Yeah. I think so," Sky answered. "I think we better head outside just in case and so we can assess the damage."

"Yeah, that sounds right," Riven agreed softly, rubbing the spot where he had connected with the control panel. He hadn't burst the skin, but he was going to have one hell of a bump there later.

"Everyone get out okay?" Timmy asked when they all got out of the ship. The specialists were fine, but the ship was not. It was going to take a bit of work to get it back in the air again.

"Oh gods, I'm so dead," Riven whispered softly to himself. He had crashed the school ship, nearly killed all his friends and now had a killer headache. Could this day get any worse?

"Look who it is," the cheery voice of a certain Princess of Solaria greeted them, and the boys turned to see Stella followed by the rest of her friends heading towards them. Sky, Brandon and Timmy felt torn between extreme delight and embarrassment from seeing the girls. Delight, because Stella, Bloom and Tecna were there, and embarrassment for being found in such a predicament.

"You guys okay?" Flora asked, her look concerned. They were all dressed in survival clothes which for some reason exposed a lot of leg. Not that the boys were complaining, but they couldn't help but notice the flaw considering the leeches and other biting insects that lived in the Black Mud Swamp.

"We saw your plane crash," Tecna informed them.

"It wasn't a crash. It was more like an emergency landing," Riven corrected. It was probably best to start believing that now if he was going to spin this past Codatorta. And having a few pixies back their story up wasn't such a bad idea. He didn't even think they even knew how to lie.

Riven was already concocting a beautiful lie when he realized just who the fairies with Stella were. The only one he had been properly introduced to was Bloom, but he clearly recognized one of the girls as the fairy that performed at the dance a little while ago. Princess Musa.

'Oh that would be bloody right!' Riven mentally hit himself. He had been affected by that girl so strongly at the dance that he knew he had to avoid her. But of course she had to be friends with that Solaria wench and that Earth weakling that Sky and Brandon were so obsessed with, so he knew he was going to be forced the be around Musa. But he was _not_ going to let his emotions get away from him. He could push her away from him easily enough, be it by keeping a literal distance from her or by being the biggest jerk alive to her. He could handle this.

He hoped. She wasn't really helping with the way she had those dark eyes fixed on him and making him feel rather uncomfortable and making it hard for him to even breathe.

"What happened?" Stella asked, observing the wrecked ship. "Pilot Ed. get a little out of control?"

"Actually, we were transporting a . . ." Sky trailed off as he looked over at the back of the ship. There was a massive hole in the ship. "Huh?"

"Transporting a very. . . er . . . important package to . . . er . . . location . . . er . . ." Brandon tried to cover Sky's blunder as the prince noticed the tracks in the mud leaving away from the ship and into the swamp.

"The troll got away!"

"Prince Sky!" Brandon scolded. All their missions were supposed to be operated with a certain level of discretion. They just couldn't go around announcing there missions so that everyone could hear. It could jeopardize the mission or maybe even cause a panic.

Which was exactly how the girls reacted. All of them started talking at once, but Stella's voice could be clearly made out over the others as she exclaimed, "You guys let a troll escape!"

"We didn't let anything escape," Riven corrected again sternly. "We had an accident. The ship malfunctioned."

"Mechanical failure," Timmy agreed. There was no need to go into finger pointing now.

"But, we got him in addle shacklers so it's fine," Riven continued. Sky was about to agree with him, when he looked back into the swamp behind them and noticed the shacklers slowly sinking into the mud.

'Oh no!' he thought, bending down to scoop them up.

"Exactly," Brandon agreed with Riven, unaware of Sky's find. "They slow you down like a tranquilizer. He won't get very far."

"Actually guys, it looks like the shacklers came off," Sky said glumly, holding the shacklers up for everyone to see. "Look!"

"They came loose?" all the girls exclaimed in unison, and Brandon inwardly groaned. Their situation was bad enough but it didn't make him feel any better that it was being paraded in front of Bloom like this. She probably thought he was some kind of a joke now.

"What are you girls doing here anyway?" Brandon asked, desperate for any kind of distraction.

"A field exercise for nature class," Bloom answered sweetly. She didn't seem put off by the mess he was in. Maybe there was a chance Brandon could salvage this, but it didn't seem like that was going to happen as long as Riven was around.

"So then get back to your little exercise girl and leave this problem to the specialists," Riven ordered. The sooner he got away from these girls the better. His eyes had already lingered to closely on Musa's body for him to handle, and he needed to stop doing that before he fell further under her spell.

"And when are the specialists going to get here?" Stella asked him pleasantly, scooting her way over to him to patronize him more.

"Oh snap!" Musa grinned, making Stella giggle slightly and also making Riven see red. He was too proud a creature to let a blow to his ego like that get by him, but he was more enraged that Musa found it comical and for some reason that bothered him greatly.

So, naturally, Riven decided to rip into Stella for causing that humiliation "Listen you privileged little princess –"

"What Riven wants to say is that it might be best if you just leave to troll to us and get back to your class assignment," Sky interrupted. He had heard Riven go on one of his rants before, and he didn't think those kind of things should be said around girls.

"I can tell her to bug off myself," Riven snarled, irritated beyond belief. He hated it when ever Sky put words in his mouth, and he hated even more being interrupted. It sounded like he was complementing that wench.

"But what if the troll runs into the other girls from our class?" Tecna questioned.

"Just stay out of our way so we can take care of it, you go it?" Riven snapped, all his patience gone. "Come on guys, let's go. Let's not waste any more time here."

The other guys weren't impressed by Riven's ability to piss off all the girls in under five minutes, but they followed him regardless. They needed to find that troll first. The flirting could come later.

* * *

"You know, you don't have to be such an ass all the time," Brandon commented to Riven as the four boys made their way through the swamp in search of their missing troll.

"Yeah I do. It's my thing. How would you like it if I said you couldn't act like a girl all the time? You'd be lost. It's your character. You drive. Hell, your very motivation for life."

"You've giving this a lot of thought, haven't you?" Sky asked.

"I always figured you'd get around to asking me about it eventually," Riven shrugged, continuing to trudge through the muddy marshes.

Timmy, who was up ahead, suddenly sighed and stood up after being hunched over observing the trail of the troll. "We've lost the trail. The tracks are gone for some reason."

"Gone?" Riven repeated. "Timmy, we're in a swamp. How can you lose a trail in mud?"

"I don't know, but it's gone," Timmy shot back. Riven muttered a swear word that seemed to some up what all of them were thinking, but it didn't help them much.

"Now what?" Sky asked, his voice heavy with the disappointment. But his mood lightened slightly as he came up with a solution to his own question. "We could always ask the girl to help us?"

"No, this is a mission, not an excuse for you to indulge yourself in your little amusements," Riven informed his friend.

"That's not fair. We let you indulge in your amusements with the ship," Sky reminded Riven. The burgundy specialist glanced over his shoulder and glared at the brunette. With his attention focused on the person behind him Riven didn't notice the vine in front of him till he ran head long into it.

"Get off me you stupid vine! Go drink some water!" Riven yelled at the vegetation. His friends grinned at Riven's reaction. He always seemed to end up yelling at inanimate objects. His longest standing argument existed between him and his computer at school. But those smiles dropped as they started to sense something wasn't right.

"Something tells me these plants don't just survive on water alone," Timmy said, feeling the vines start to wrap around his legs.

"And why's that?" Sky asked, feeling the vines also wrapping around his own legs.

"Because I think they're trying to eat us!" Timmy gasped. Rapidly, the vines traveled up his body till they were wrapped so tightly around his chest that he found it hard to breathe. The others were in a similar situation.

Brandon struggled, but his efforts were useless against the plants. "So what do we do? Any idea?"

Like anything that required a large level of thought, everyone seemed to look to Timmy to provide an answer. "I . . . I think we should just try to stay calm and . . ." the boy genius trailed off as he watched a vine move towards his face. "HELP!"

Riven tried to muffle a laugh and failed miserably at it. Brandon glared at his friend; he always found the most inappropriate things funny. "It's not funny you know."

"Man, it's going to be so embarrassing if someone find us like this," Sky groaned, and then he silently cursed the sick humor of fate as the five girls came into view.

"Need a hand?" Stella asked casually. Sky quietly tried to turn his skin into a light reflective substance that makes him appear invisible to the human eye so he could disappear, but he wasn't that talented.

"Stay way. These vines belong to incredibly dangerous, blood thirsty man eating plants!" Riven warned, straining against his captor. It was slightly melodramatic, he knew it, but by gods if he was going to be eaten alive by a plant, it was going to be an incredibly dangerous, blood thirsty man eating plant and nothing less.

"They only eat loud mouths so you should pipe down," Musa ordered him and for a second Riven locked his violet eyes with her dark pools. A powerful jolt of emotion shot through his like an electric shock. It traveled down his spin and spread to every limb making them feel more alive than he had ever known. And a second later, it was gone, though his skin still tingled in the aftermath.

"Everything's okay, little plants. Just relax," Flora told the plants, and the boys felt the vines abut their bodies loosen and fall off them. Stumbling away from the vines, the boys stared in wonder at their captors.

"Quick. Let's get away from these things," Bloom suggested in a hushed whisper. Wordlessly, the others obeyed and followed her away from the meat eating plants. Brandon had one moment of hesitation, then he boldly approached Bloom when they were far enough away from the sound sensitive plants. Gentle, he took her soft hand and turned to gaze into her beautiful face.

"Hey, it's good to see you again, Bloom," he said softly, and a pleased smile tug at the corner of her lips in a look that clearly stated that she felt the same way. But their tender moment was ultimately destroyed by Stella's loud voice shattering the silence.

"Hello! No need to whisper any more. We got away remember?"

For a brief second, Brandon wished to commit the act of regicide and leave the throne to Solaria heirless. The rest of the boys knew what he had been trying to do, and their knowing, smug smirks was enough to make Brandon want to go off and look for the troll single handed and face his doom.

"I think we should all look for the troll together from now on. Safety in numbers and all," Bloom suggested with a slight shrug, and Brandon didn't even have to think about his answer. Other seemed to follow his line of thinking.

Flora was one of those people. "Sounds good to me."

And Sky was another, which of course Brandon knew why. "Me too."

Riven, however, was against it, and Brandon had no idea why he was being so difficult. Surely it wasn't just him maintaining a character. There had to be something else behind it in this case. Riven might have his flaws, but sexism wasn't one of them. "No way I'm teaming up with these girls."

"You're on your own then, buddy," Sky smirked at his friend. He just needed to lighten up a bit, but it didn't look like that was going to happen soon as Riven _humph_ed. "And if you find the troll just give us a shout."

Riven glared at the prince, _humph_ed again and then stalked off. He had no idea where he was going, but it seemed to be in the general direction they were heading in anyway. He knew the only way he could sound more childish was if he mentioned something about girl germs, but he really didn't care. He just needed to get away from these girls as fast as possible.

That girl Musa was have a far too strong affect on him for his liking, and he wanted to put enough distance between the two of them as he could manage. He wasn't afraid of girls or anything ridiculous like that, he just didn't trust them. He had been burned by a female that was supposed to stand by him before, and he didn't lightly make the same mistake twice.

"Hey, Riven!" a voice called out to him, and Riven was both surprised and alarmed to see Princess Musa jog up along side him to match his step. "It is Riven, isn't it?"

"Yeah. What do you want?"

"Now, I'm not certain, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time we've really met, right?" Musa questioned, and Riven nodded, not certain where this was going. "So, did we do anything wrong that's gotten you all out of whack in ten minutes or so that we've know you?"

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm just trying to work out where you're getting this off tune from. Me and my crew have done nothing at all to you, and yet you're acting like we stole your birthday out from under your nose," Musa said. Riven gave her a hard look, and then tried to ignore her. She, however, was not going to be brushed aside that easily. "I'm waiting for an answer."

"Keep waiting."

"What is with you? Are you afraid of me giving you girl germs or something?"

Riven turned and planted himself directly in front of the girl, his face dangerously close to hers. He was not going to have her thinking he was that pathetic no matter how badly he wanted to push her away.

"I'm not afraid of any disease you pixie's might be carrying, because I know that 'being annoying' isn't contagious, which happens to be the only thing you've proven to me you can do so far. Do you get paid to ask stupid questions, because you seem to be overflowing with them? And you'll have to forgive me if I'm not just thrilled that you five are here 'cause I can't see how a bunch of freshmen pixies could be of any help to us with a troll beside standing around a looking pretty."

Musa stared at him. Up close Riven saw that her eyes were a deep shade of navy, and for some reason they seemed to swell with a strange kind of amusement.

"It's no much of a complement, but I guess we've all got to start somewhere," she shrugged, brushing past him.

"What?"

"You said we looked pretty. What a darling little thing you are," Musa smirked, pausing slightly so she could tap him gently on the cheek like one might congratulate a dog for finally mastering the command sit. "Keep up the good work."

Giggling, the princess ran ahead to catch up with Stella, and the two began to whisper feverishly, occasionally glancing back over their shoulders at Riven. After glaring at the fairy for some time, Riven felt his eyes eventually dropping down to her bare legs. They were nice.

"Like something you see?" Sky asked slyly, causing Riven to tear his eyes away from them and glare at the Crowned Prince of Eraklyon. Riven didn't even bother to dignify that with an answer. Instead, he simply blocked everything out and followed after the others who were now all observing their next obstacle; a large pond that was too big to go around.

"We'll have to hop our way across." Tecna informed the group evenly after several moments. There were large clumpatures (1) of floating vegetation in the water that seemed solid enough for them to jump on and make their way across the pond.

"Be careful Tecna," Timmy said, observing the water. While the clumpatures looked solid, they also looked unstable. The water below, while it looked stagnant, had a strong current and rips, he noticed as he watched a rather large stick get dragged under. If one of them accidentally fell in there was a high chance that they could get pulled under and not be able to get back to the surface again.

"Thanks," Tecna said softly, before taking a chance and leaping out onto the clumpature. Her balance wavered slightly, but she quickly countered that by leaping onto another clumpature. "Come on guys. It's fun!"

After exchanging a glance with the other boys, Sky gave them a 'why not' shrug and boldly followed after the digital fairy. A childish grin of delight covered his face as he struggled to maintain his balance.

"Just don't fall in," Timmy other the other guys before following the prince out onto the floating vegetation.

"Like we plan to," Riven muttered to Brandon before following suit.

"My clumpature's wobbly," Flora complained, almost falling into the murky water. Others were finding the same thing.

"Mine too!" Stella squealed.

"Same here. They're really unsteady," Bloom noted. If Riven wasn't so busy concentrating on trying not to lose his balance, he could have proved some snide comment about her obvious statement, but he had to settle on a simple rolling of the eyes.

"I believe the key to this whole exercise is that you must keep moving. You must not stay still," Tecna told the group, hoping onto another clumpature near by to her.

"Alright," Stella nodded, following her friends lead. The princess, though stunning graceful in three inch heels, lost her balance and started to fall backwards with a squeal. By the luck of the gods, Sky happened to be behind her as she fell, and out of pure reaction he caught her in his arms while simultaneously getting a slight feel of her ass. "Oh, thank you."

Sky smiled flawlessly at her, and once she managed to get back onto her clumpature, she cast him her own coy little smile before continuing on her way. Sky had a strong fluttering feeling in his stomach, and he couldn't stop grinning. "I love swamps."

"Hey, there's no clumpatures near by," Brandon said out loud to himself, noticing his predicament. The nearest clumpature _could_ be in jumping distance, but then again it also couldn't be. "I guess this calls for a double jump."

Mustering as much strength into his legs, Brandon pushed himself off his clumpature and threw his self across the murky water to land unevenly on the other clumpature. Brandon quickly gathered his balance, and grinned triumphantly to himself.

"Nice one!" Musa congratulated him, and Riven's eyes narrowed dangerously. She couldn't be interested in Brandon, now could she? He would have thought that Bloom would have already called dibs on the squire. Wait a minute, why did he even care? His mind distracted, Riven continued on his way.

Brandon was still grinning about his successful double jump when he heard a loud splash from behind him, and his smile faded. Looking back over his shoulder, he felt his blood freeze as he saw Riven's spiky haired head resurface from under the murky water. "No!"

The current dragged Riven back under again, and Riven struggled to get back to the surface. He was a city boy, and though he had leant to survive in the wild, he still wasn't the strongest swimmer. The cape of his uniform got caught up in the strong current, dragging him back down and choking him slightly. Finally, Riven resurfaced and gulped down deep breaths as well as a fair amount of water. Riven shuttered at the very thought of what could be in the all that murky water he had just swallowed, but that was pushed to the back of his mind as he felt himself starting to get pulled back under.

That's when he felt a pair of small hands grab his hands. "Gotcha! Hold on Riven!"

Glancing up, Riven saw those hands belonged to Tecna, and could see the stain on her face as she tried to stop him getting dragged under. He could feel his cape getting heavier and tightened around his neckline. That had to be a design fault. "Don't let go of me."

"She's slipping!" Stella shrieked, as Tecna began to lose her fight against the current. Her feet slide out under her in the slippery mud and the digital fairy would have joined Riven in the murky water if it wasn't for Timmy's fast reaction.

"Gotcha!" Timmy told her, holding her by the ankles. "Don't worry. I'll get you out of here Tecna," he promised her, but he too found his footing slipping in the mud, but then he felt two more pairs of hands grab him. Glancing over his shoulder, Timmy saw that both Brandon and Bloom were trying to help.

"Heave! Heave!"

With Tecna as a cheer squad, the two boys and Bloom managed to drag both Tecna and Riven back onto land, and all five of them collapsed onto the shore, panting for air. Riven's body trembled as he felt like he was going to be sick, his stomach churning after all that water he had accidentally swallowed.

"Bet you're glad you teamed up with us girls now, aren't you Riven?" Stella smirked. Riven glared at her. He was almost positive she had been enjoying watching him drown.

"Yeah, whatever," he spat, getting to his feet. He knew he owned them his thanks, but his irritation about Musa distracting his thoughts and Stella's snobby attitude made him more difficult than normal. He needed to get out of the swamp and away from these damn females. "I would have gotten out. Come on. Get up. Let's go already."

"Huh?" both Brandon and Timmy asked one another in unison. Riven could be an ass if he wanted to, but he never took it this far. Something was really bothering him, they could tell. He even seemed extra irritated as he stalked away from them with no particular direction, spitting out the water that had gathered in his mouth.

"Where to now?" Sky asked, also watching Riven carry on.

"The troll went that way," Flora answered so confidently that Sky had to gape at her. "The voice of nature told me."

"A voice?" Sky repeated. They had a name for people who could hear voices that other people couldn't. But Flora smiled him a 'trust me' smile, and the prince shrugged. "Alright. If you say so. Hey Riven! You're going the wrong way!"

With Bloom and Flora in the lead, the group headed off through the swamp. Timmy offered his hand to Tecna to help her to her feet. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Tecna answered, but she had a slightly hurt look as she glanced over her shoulder at Riven who was lagging behind the group. "Is he always so ungrateful?"

Timmy shrugged. "Not always. You've just got to get to know him a bit better. He can actually be a nice guy underneath it all, but there's stuff he can't let go of that makes him act so jaded and hateful."

"What stuff?"

"I don't know. He doesn't really open up, but don't let that get to you. Normally he'll say the complete opposite to what he really wants to say, or he just won't say anything at all. You've got to really read between the lines with him. Me and the other guys have gotten pretty good at it with time."

"Oh, okay," Tecna sighed, but she still seemed upset.

Timmy gave Riven a hard look. Did that guy not realize that a few harsh words could really upset someone? Feeling eyes on him, Riven looked up and locked his violet eyes with Timmy's green ones. Timmy didn't even have to say anything; Riven got what Timmy was angry at him for. With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, Riven brush past the two A Grade students.

"Thanks Tecna," he muttered under his breath, looking at the ground, and then continued past them.

"You're welcome," Tecna whispered back, a smile tugging at her lips. Looking over at Timmy, her smile widened, making his breath catch. "Thank you Timmy."

"Oh, it's nothing," he assured her, smiling back. But the silence was suddenly broken by a loud roar that could only belong to a large, blue troll that was supposed to be in Magix.

"That's our boy!" Sky shouted, running towards where the sound came from feeling rather relieved that they knew were it was. But that relief turned to panic as he heard someone calling for help.

"That's Amaryl!" Bloom gasped, also quickening her pace.

"Don't worry! We'll get her out of there!" Sky assured. But as the troll came into view, everyone saw how dangerous the situation had become. The troll had Amaryl and her two classmates cornered up against a bank with no way to escape passed him. And after weeks of being impressed, the troll was no doubt extremely irritated and would want to take that frustration out on someone.

"They're trapped!" Bloom exclaimed, pushing a bush aside. "That's the same troll that was working with Knut. We've got to do something before he turns those girls into fairy dust!"

Sky was on the case. "Alright everybody. I've got a plan. Phase one; the girls distract the troll!"

None of the girls seemed too keen with that idea, particularly Stella. "I hope that the troll eats the girls isn't phase two."

'Not a bad idea,' Riven thought to himself, even though he knew that Sky would never let that happen. He was too noble and too hooked on the blonde harpy to let that happen to her or her friends.

"No way because Brandon and Timmy will pin him down. Then Riven and I jump in and slip the shackles on him."

"Sound like a plan," Tecna agreed, though she didn't seem too sure of herself.

"Alright then, let's go!" Sky ordered and the girls ran in and did what girls to best; talk to the monster. The hunter troll looked ready to eat the girls, but it gave their classmates the chance to make a run for it. Finally, the troll advanced on the girls.

"Let's go!" Brandon shouted to Timmy and the two of them jumped in. Timmy wrapped his arms around the trolls right leg, while Brandon collected the left leg. The troll lost its balance and crashed to the ground, which is when Riven and Sky moved in, grabbing a huge, blue hand each.

"Come on! Quick!" Sky ordered. "Hurry, put that – Wha!"

In their efforts to shackle the troll, both Sky and Riven lost the grip they had on the trolls arms. Sky got thrown backwards slight, but quickly moved back in to try and pin the trolls arm again. Riven wasn't so lucky. The troll had managed to reach out and take a firm hold on his head, squeezing so hard Riven thought his head was going to burst.

"Help! He's got my face!" Riven struggled and found himself getting suffocated for the second time within an hour. He really did have the worst luck in the world.

"Hurry up you guys!" Timmy cried, struggling to keep his hold on the trolls legs. Brandon was having the same difficulties. "I can't hold him!"

Kicking the two specialist off, the troll found its feet, and lifted both Sky, who was still holding onto its arm and Riven who the troll still had by the head into the air. As causally as one might throw a rag doll, the troll threw them away and ran off into the swamp. For the second time that day they lost the troll.

In the struggle, Timmy had fallen into a strange hazy state of mind. He tried to ask anyone else if they felt anything odd, but his tongue felt so thick he couldn't speak. Faintly, he became aware that Brandon had made his way over to him.

"Hey Timmy. You okay?" Brandon asked, but his voice seemed distant for some reason. "At least we know these shackles still work."

Brandon removed the addle shacklers and Timmy's mind instantly cleared. Timmy looked about him, a dazed expression on his face. "What? What happened?"

"The troll got away," Brandon said solemnly.

"Damn. Where's Sky and Riven?"

* * *

Riven sat up slowly, rubbing his neck. It was going to be seriously stiff tomorrow, but he was lucky the troll hadn't snapped it in that fall. This really wasn't his day. First he crashes the ship, then the troll goes missing, he nearly got eaten by a plant, he almost drowned, and now he nearly ended up in a wheel chair for life, and all because of that stupid troll.

"You okay bro?" Sky asked, walking over to him.

"Oh I'm just dandy," Riven spat sarcastically, slowly getting to his feet with some help from the prince, who was quietly sniggering at Riven's choice of words. That laughter died off as the three fairies that had been cornered by the troll approached them.

"I thought you guys went to a school for bravery, not botchary," the girl Bloom had called Amyral sneered at them, making the rest of her friends laugh.

"See you losers!" another one of them called as the three girls ran off.

"That's the thanks we get?" Sky said to Riven with a slight shake of his head.

"We don't deserve thanks for _that_. That was pathetic," Riven spat, glancing at the rest of his squadron. Timmy was still trying to clear his mind completely, and Brandon was off sulking on a log. Bloom had joined him, trying to offer him some comfort.

"These things happen," Sky shrugged.

"Trust you to say that," Riven muttered under his breath, but Sky's ears still managed to catch it.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, of course you'd say something wishy-washy like that so everyone will ignore that your stupid plan failed and you won't damage your perfect reputation or whatever."

"Dude, you've got to be kidding me. And excuse me, but may I remind you that you were the one flying the ship when it crashed allowing the troll to escape in the first place."

"We got shot down, genius. As if I could see that happening."

"Well, if you weren't so busy joyriding and kept an eye on the sensors like you were supposed to, maybe you would have noticed something earlier so we wouldn't even be in this mess," Sky snapped. "You have been an absolute ass this entire mission, and everything you've done has lead us from bad to worse. _You_ crashed the ship. _You_ yelled at those plants which caused them to attack us. _You _nearly caused Tecna to drown! And _you_ got your stupid head caught so the troll got away!"

"What? Don't point the finger at me, Sky. I'm not the one who shackled Timmy!" Riven snarled, his violet eyes blazing. By now their little discussion had caught the attention of everyone else.

"Bro, _you_ had the shackles!"

"Me?"

"Knock it off you two!" Timmy shouted at the two. He hated it whenever they argued so heatedly, but this was just being childish. "We all messed up together. Can you at least agree on that?"

"But . . ." Riven trailed off. He knew Timmy was right, but he also knew that Sky had some truth to his words as well, and he didn't like either of them.

"He's right. And we should at least agree to that point you guys," Sky said, looking over at Riven. "Don't you agree?"

Riven stared at his friend for a second, then burst out laughing. "I agree."

"That's good," Sky sighed with relief. They had enough drama's to deal with without having him and Riven go head to head. There was a time and a place for everything, and right now they had bigger fish to fry. Plus, they'd work better if they weren't at each others throats and they had freaked the girls out a little bit, but now they were relaxed and laughing at them.

"Now shake hands," Timmy ordered, and the two other boys did as they were told without any argument. "Well done guys!"

"No hard feeling bro," Sky grinned at Riven who tilted his chin upwards slightly in what clearly stated 'likewise' in boy-talk. Sky grinned wider before turning to Brandon who had just joined them. "Riven and I have called a truce."

"I'd prefer an everlasting peace but I guess a truce is a good start," Brandon shrugged, smiling softly at the two of them. Those two were so similar sometimes it was scary.

"Let's go," Riven commanded. "We got a troll to catch"

"It went that way," Bloom told everyone, but even if you didn't need the voice of nature to tell you that. The troll had left a fairly clear trail when it had run off from the fight, but it wasn't long before that vanished again. It was starting to get dark, but Flora and Bloom continued to lead them on a fairly certain path.

"What do you hear now, Bloom?" Brandon asked, but he was only half interested in the troll. The other half just wanted an excuse to talk to her.

"Well, it's not really a sound," Bloom confessed.

"Yeah Brandon. The voice of nature is something that you feel inside," Flora informed the group, but the only feeling Riven had on the inside was faint nausea after all that swamp water he had drunk.

"Huh? Well I've been trying and I can't feel anything at all," Sky admitted, and he wasn't alone.

"I can't feel this voice of nature either," Tecna said, making the boys feel a little better since even a fairy couldn't hear it. "I'm from a wired realm, but believe me; we can trust Bloom and Flora on this."

However, almost immediately after she said that, both Bloom and Flora stopped, and the others followed suit.

"What?" Riven asked. He didn't really believe in this spiritual crap these fairies were flogging, so he was expecting them to come out and say they were lost at any second. Bloom's answer didn't change his thinking.

"The feeling stops here."

"So where's the troll?" Sky asked, looking around. This place was kind of creepy looking.

"Gone. But I sense something else. Something cold."

"There's really negative energy in the air here," Stella observed.

"I feel it too. Singed ions indicate dark magic," Tecna reminded them all.

"So someone used dark magic to make the troll vanish," Sky assumed. It was going to be hard convince Codatorta all this, even with Riven's fantastic skill of lying.

"But who?" Timmy wonder, also trying to think of a way to talk their way out of this.

"Well, we know the troll works for Knut and we know that Knut is the grunt for the three witches," Musa mused, and Riven couldn't help but notice how cute she looked with her face in deep thought.

"Yeah. You think those three are the ones that shot us down?" Brandon asked her, and Riven suddenly had an overwhelming desire to hit his friend for so much as directing a question to the fairy.

"Look!" Bloom suddenly announced, holding up what looked to be a few feathers. All the boys were a bit lost at that one. Feathers were important to them why? Unless it involved all the girls stripping down to their bras and panties for a tickle fight, they really didn't care.

"_Hmmm._ Those look like duck feathers," Tecna noted as if it was something of major importance.

"And isn't someone we know being stalked by a duck because of a spell we put on her?" Bloom questioned.

"They've gone mad with some swamp disease," Riven muttered under his breath to Sky, who tried desperately to muffle a laugh. But Musa's answer made things start to make a bit of sense.

"Icy."

The boys had been fortunate enough not to have even had a run in with the three most dangerous senior witches from Cloud Tower, but they knew them by reputation. They knew Icy lead them, Stormy got angry easily, and Darcy was promiscuous. It was also a known fat that they loved to mess up other student's assignments, so they could have shot the ship down for the fun of it, but that didn't explain why they would want to destroy the troll.

"It looks like we got the proof we need," Flora said certainly, but the boys didn't really believe her. They really doubted a small handful of feathers were going to be enough to convince Codatorta and Saladin that this had all been someone's elaborate scheme.

"But what are they up to? We've got to find out!" Bloom told them all firmly, but not everyone shared her determination.

"Oh no!" Stella instantly objected. "Not tonight. I'm tired. I'm hungry. I'm so sick of this sticking swamp not to mention we are like totally running late for our class! How are we going to get back in time?"

"We'll give you girls a lift," Brandon offered.

"How? Riven broke the ship," Sky reminded his squire, ignoring Riven's death glare. "Plus, it's like on the other side of the swamp and I really don't feel like jumping across those clumpatures in the dark."

"Don't worry guys. I've got you covered," Timmy assured them, pulling out one of his devices. Why he would drag that thing through a swamp was beyond his friends, but if it got them out of here, they really didn't care. "Before were left I activated one of the programs I created over the summer that I installed into the ship. It's slow, but it allows the ship to perform its own maintenance, so it was fixing itself while we were off tracking the troll. And by the looks of it, it's finish so we can fly out of here and drop you girl off with your class."

"Dude, I love having you around," Riven told him earnestly, putting a hand on his friends shoulder. Everyone couldn't help but laugh at Riven's honesty and Timmy actually looked a little embarrassed.

"Um, thanks. I'll program the ship to fly here, and then we'll go."

* * *

"I told you they weren't ready, Saladin," Codatorta growled, staring disapprovingly at his students, and Saladin looked just as let down from his place sitting behind his desk. After dropping the girls off with their class, the boys had headed home to face their mentors. Riven had figured out the best way to spin the story and Brandon had presented it to the headmaster seeing as Saladin would be more inclined to believe him than others. They had mentioned to scorch marks on the ship that indicated an attack from outside the ship and singed ions that relate to the use of dark magic, but had left out the duck feathers. They'd need more proof than that if they wanted to pin the witches.

Saladin sighed deeply. "It seems you were right, Codatorta, and it grieves me to say that I expected better from you boys. As punishment, you four will have to clean the ship hanger, then the stables including the creatures and then anything else we put to you. Understood."

"Yes sir," all answered glumly.

"You'll start immediately and anything you don't finish tonight you finish tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that and the day after that," Codatorta told them sternly.

"Yes sir."

"I can not believe that Red Fountain students couldn't handle a simply transport mission. Your Red Fountain sophomores, not Alfea freshmen's," Codatorta snarled. It was clear to the boys that the combat master was no pleased with Saladin's punishment, and was looking for someone to blame further. "Too difficult, was it? I hope you're all aware that this will go on your record and affect your grades."

"Yes sir."

"I can't believe you boys couldn't even contain one single troll," Codatorta said, looking pointedly at Timmy. Timmy had been in charge of the security of the troll, and Codatorta seemed to think that the blame lay with him.

'That's it,' Riven thought fiercely to himself. There was no way Timmy could have know that those witches would attack them so his security system had not been made to handle that. Plus, Riven didn't like the idea of these teachers deciding whose fault this was. They weren't even there. Riven wanted more control of this situation, and there was only one thing he could think of. "Sir, it's my fault."

"Dude, don't," Sky hissed under his breath, trying to stop Riven from doing what they all knew he was doing. Riven wasn't noble enough for self sacrifice, but it was also true that he could handle copping the heat better than the rest of them and the teachers would believe him. Everyone always thought the worst of him.

"While everything we told you bout us getting shot down is true, it's also a fact that we probably would have be aware that someone else was out there if I hadn't been joyriding and using the ship irresponsibly. The others aren't to blame. They're just covering my ass, sir."

Saladin sighed again and rubbed his temple. "Thank you for being honest, Riven, but this was a group assignment so your clean punishment still stands for all of you. However, it won't affect Sky, Brandon and Timmy's grades. Now, if you boys will please go to the hanger and begin your punishment, I need a private word with Riven."

* * *

The three boys had all but finished cleaning the hanger when Riven got out of Saladin's office. He walked in causally with his arms folded behind his head with an unaffected look on his face.

"What you get?" Brandon asked, knowing that Riven's punishment must be massive.

"One months cleaning duty, two months kitchen duty and I've got to help do stock take with the Q-Store," Riven shrugged off-handily as if he already convinced himself that the massive task awaiting him was going to be a walk in the park. "Oh, and all this cleaning I've gotta do with you guys."

"You didn't have to do that, dude," Sky pointed out.

"They were looking for someone to flog, and it's not fair on you guys who were doing your job right," Riven shrugged again. "Don't worry, I got your back, bro."

"And we got yours," Sky grinned, clasping hands with Riven in an arm wrestling manner.

"That's what I'm worried about," Riven said, and Sky dropped his hand. The group moved over to observe the boys cleaning so far. "Nice job."

"Thanks," Brandon chuckled slightly. "We're almost done."

"Yeah, but then we've got the clean the jousting stable," Sky noted.

"The stables and the creature too," Timmy groaned. He and the creatures in the stables did not get along to well. He was a bit afraid of them and they knew it.

"I guess our punishment could be worse."

"I don't know Sky," Timmy disagreed. "What could be worse than having to give a bath to that grumpy griffin?"

Brandon also agreed with Timmy's thinking, mentally shuttering at the thought of everything that was expected of them over the next few days. "Yeah man. That griffin is huge. A lot goes in and a lot comes out."

"Well think about the time Marcus had to climb into the digestive cavity of the Bingledip Beast," Sky reminded them, and they all laughed at the memory of that little weasel suffering though that. "Come on. Let's finish up here."

* * *

_(1) – I'm not sure what these clumpatures are but I'm certain that's the word they use. I've never heard of any vegetation called clumpatures, but hey, it's a cartoon set in another dimension. _

_I had to include a conversation between Musa and Riven because it really annoys me how Musa can develop a crush on him when they don't speak to one another. I think in the whole episode Musa says one thing to him and that's to shut up, and he doesn't say anything at all to her. It's just frustrating. _

_Coming up next; Date with Disaster._

_TBC._


	5. Date with Disaster

_Okay, I've been gone for a bit but now I'm back. And one thing that I've noticed while I was gone was that I never actually gave you guys the address to the site where I'm getting my Winx fix so I guys those blonde jokes have some truth in 'em. It's been moving around a bit and is currently under construction but the most recent address is magixclub dot com so check it out. Not all the episodes are up yet but when they do get them up I'll let you know. _

_Alright, enough chat. Lets go. _

_

* * *

_

**_Chapter Five – Date with Disaster _**

**_Dreaming_**

_"There's our class," Bloom said as the ship flew down to the clearing. Skillfully, the boys landed it, and the girls made their way out. The boys followed them to the exit, but did not get off. _

_"Are you boys going to walk us to class?" Stella asked them sweetly and Riven made the mistake of looking over his shoulder from where he leaned indifferently against the side of the ship's doorway. He could faintly hear Brandon give the girls some excuse, but his whole world seemed to dissolve as he locked eyes with Princess Musa. _

_Again, he felt a large jolt of emotion, making his entire body come alive. _

_He just couldn't understand how a girl could do that to him over such a distance. It was even worse when he touched her skin. In that brief second that she had patronizingly tapped his cheek, he had felt her magic go all the way to his toes. _

_Ever since that day in the swamp, his mind kept replaying everything she had said, everything she had done and everyway she looked at him over and over. The song and the way she danced at the dance at Alfea kept cropping up too, and although Riven found it maddening, he also found himself actually looking forward to falling asleep because he knew she would be in his dreams. _

_Baby, can you handle this? _

_I don't think you can handle this! _

_But the image Riven had of Musa swaying her hips for him was suddenly cut off by someone swiftly kicking him while he slept. _

**_End Dream_**

_"_What?" Riven snapped, sitting up in bed. Standing over him was Jacob, the schools chief. Jacob was actually the little brother of the Maestro, the chief at Alfea, but didn't reassemble his brother in the slightest. Jacob was tall, as skinny as a rake with fluffy dark hair that stood up on end. He smoked like a chimney and swore like a sailor, and for some reason he had taken a liking to Riven. (1)

"Wake up, shit head."

"That has to be the worse sight to wake up to in the history of the universe," Riven grumbled, getting up and starting to get changed.

"Nah, you could always put a mirror on the ceiling over your bed and wake up to that each morning," Jacob said with his voice thick with his accent. "Hurry up. You were due in the kitchen ten minutes ago."

"Alright. Alright. Go, I'll be there in a tick," Riven yawned and Jacob left to return to the kitchen. Scratching his hair and in doing so messing it up slightly, Riven groaned. "I hate breakfast."

"But it's the most important meal of the day," Sky commented for his place in his bed. He took a lot of pleasure in staying in his nice warm bed while others had to get up, and he liked it even more when that someone was Riven.

"Oh shut up," Riven yawned again while pulling on a clean shirt. A few minutes later, he was dressed for the day even though he was wearing the same socks as the day before. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Riven headed for the kitchen. "See you guys at breakfast."

"Bye Rivie!" Sky called cheerfully from his bed, and he knew the only thing saving him from Riven beating the living day lights out of him was Riven's tardiness.

"I bet his spits in your food," Brandon mumbled from his own bed.

"Jacob won't let him. He's too much of a professional. Do you know he's only twenty-six years old and he owns like four big restaurants in Magix? The guys could retire if he wanted, but he says he likes the lazy work he has to do here."

"I hear he's seeing the new nurse."

"I'll kill him."

"I don't want to get up," Timmy groaned, burying his face into his pillow.

"It's our last day of punishment," Brandon reminded the other three cheerfully, sitting up in his bed and stretching. "All we got to do is clear out the track room in the stables and we're done."

"I'm gonna sleep in," Sky told them, disappearing back under the covers.

"Get up!" Brandon ordered, throwing his pillow at his friends hidden form. "We got work to do."

* * *

"Of all the soaps in all the worlds, saddle soap has to be the worst!" Sky complained loudly. "It feels gross, it makes your hands stick for hours afterwards and it's drying out my skin. Look at my hands. Looks at them!" 

"You're such a girl sometimes," Riven told him, scrubbing the dragon saddle they had been ordered to clean. "I mean, it's just soap, dude."

"Yeah, well, an onion is just a vegetable and yet you carry on like it's a demon sent from hell to end life as we know it and bring an eternity of darkness and pain."

"Onions are worse than soap, man. They stink, they make your eyes water, and the smell gets onto your hands and I can't find anything to mask it."

"Oh have a cry. Oh wait, you already do," Sky smirked, and only just managed to dodge the bar of saddle soap that got thrown his way. The prince burst out laughing, while Riven looked ready to kill.

"Knock it off you guys," Brandon ordered from where he sat cleaning his own saddle. "We've got to get this done by the end of the day or we'll have to do it tomorrow."

"Yeah, wouldn't that be tragic," Riven mumbled, getting up to retrieve his air bourn bar of soap.

Sky rolled his eyes. "Dude, you didn't – "

"I know I didn't have to do it," Riven cut him off. "But if I went back in time I'd do it all again and you can't deny me my god given right to complain about it, now can you?"

"You are one complex little man, aren't you?"

"Hey Riven," Timmy said, sticking his head into the tack room. "Codatorta wants you and me to move the new bridles they have for the dragons up here. They've just dug them out of the Q-Store, and he says that you'd better get used to the place seeing as you'll be spending a lot of time there later in the year."

"That Codatorta's such a sweetheart," Riven spat cynically, getting up and heading to the door. "Least it beats saddle soap."

"Come on," Timmy said, and the two headed off towards the Q-Store.

"Do you think Riven regrets taking the fall for us?" Brandon asked his friend, starting on a new saddle. Sky pondered the question for a second, and then shook his head.

"No, I don't think so. I think he just like's to complain is all. I honestly believe that he would do it all again if given half the chance," Sky said. Riven might be a jerk, but he always had their backs in a pinch.

"I still worry."

"You do that too much, man. It's the last day of our punishment. Soon we'll be free! This isn't a day to be fretting. We'll be free!" Sky told him, enthusiastically throwing his arms and the bar of saddle soap in the air.

"Hey guys," a new voice said, and a second later a boy with similar hair colour to Timmy though his hair did stand a lot more vertical stuck his head through the tack room door.

"Hey Bourne," Brandon greeted the boy in the class. "What's up?"

"Sky, you've got a group of girls looking for you man."

"My birthday wish finally came true!" Sky beamed, getting to his feet. "Let me guess, it's a bunch of fine freshmen's all looking for a piece of my manly flesh?"

"Well, their freshmen's," Bourne told the prince. "But I dunno about them wanting a piece of manly flesh. You'll have to ask them yourself."

"Is Stella with them?"

"That princess from Solaria? No I didn't see her."

"Damn. Coming Brandon?"

"Yeah, I'll be right there!" Brandon called as Sky followed Bourne out of the tack room. Bourne led him to the group of girls and then went on his own way, but Sky noticed with some disappointment that Bourne wasn't lying; Stella really wasn't with the group of girls. But he figured having Bloom, Tecna, Flora and Musa looking for him as a runner up prize wasn't half bad either.

"How can I help you ladies?" Sky smiled flawlessly at the group.

"Hi Prince Sky," Bloom greeted warmly, but she seemed anxious about something and got right to the point. "Um, do you mind if we ask you how your date with Stella went last night?"

"My date with Stella?" Sky repeated. He never had a date with Stella. He wanted to, but if it was going to happen he wanted to at least be informed of the matter. How could Stella have a date with him if he had no idea it was happening? He could stand her up and ruin his chances of a second date without him even being aware of it. "I didn't go out last night. I didn't even ask her on a date."

"But she got a note inviting her on a date with you to some place called the Black Lagoon Café," Musa told him, her navy eyes probing as she searched for some kind of answer in his face.

But even Sky couldn't give her that. "I've never even heard of that café."

"That's really odd," Bloom said, her mind struggling to find some kind of answer for this situation.

"What's going on? Is Stella okay?" Sky asked, his voice showing hints of panic. He didn't want Stella think he had played some kind of cruel joke on her or anything like that.

"We don't know," Tecna confessed. "She came home last night and was acting very particular this morning. She was trashing her room and being extremely rude. She even attacked Bloom."

"She totally flipped," Musa assured.

"And now she's run off and we have no idea where she's gone," Bloom told the prince, who seemed extremely troubled by the news.

"What?" Sky exclaimed.

"You really have no idea what we're talking about?" Flora asked in amazement.

"Not that I wouldn't ask her out but ever since that little incident with the troll in the swamp we haven't been allowed to leave campus so, ah, that makes dating a little difficult," Sky told them, but his eyes narrowed slightly as Flora looked at a piece of paper. "Wait, what's that in your hand?"

"Your invitation."

"Huh? What does is say?" Sky asked taking it from her. He had only glanced at the piece of paper when he heard Riven make some snide comment about him spending so much time on his throne that he never learnt how to read. Sky rolled his eyes, and blocked his friend out. He had more important things to worry about then trying to work out why Riven turned into a childish ass whenever the girls were around.

The note was addressed to Stella, asking for her to come to the Black Lagoon Café, as Musa had said, and it had been signed with his name. But that wasn't how he signed the words Prince Sky. Hell, that wasn't even his handwriting.

What was going on?

Sky was slowly brought back to reality by Lady's barking and Tecna's feeble efforts to try and shoo her away from her. The digital fairy seemed a little overwhelmed as the dog jump up on her, trying to lick her face like she did with the boys.

"Yes, that's a good little canis carnivorous. Go away," Tecna begged.

It took all Sky's will power not to burst out laughing at Tecna's distress. Who would be afraid of a dog as cute as Lady? But as Sky thought about it, he figured she had an excuse. "They don't actually have animals where you come from, do they Tecna?"

"Lady!" Brandon called, and the dog instantly lost all interest in the fairy. She instantly ran over to the boy who had just joined them from the stables, bringing with him a rather strong smell of saddle soap. "Come sit girl."

"She ignores everyone but Brandon," Sky explained to the girls. "He's her favorite."

"Hey there Brandon," Bloom gushed, her attitude completely changing with his arrival. She had been so focus and determined when she had been talking to Sky, but that all seemed to go out the window as soon as a certain blonde showed up. Right now she seemed more than happy to spend the rest of the day standing around discussing something as boring as the weather.

"Hey Bloom," Brandon smile back, clearly noticing her delight in seeing him. Given half the chance, Brandon would also be more than happy to stand around and talk about nothing. Just once he'd like to have a real conversation with her without the others or trolls interrupting them. But that wasn't going to happen today.

"Less flirting, more fighting boys," Codatorta ordered, looking down at them from a level above them. "You're not in manners school, you're in heroic school. Now get back to your practicing and then finish cleaning those stables."

"You got it professor! Right away!" Sky called, glancing at the clock that over looked them. Crap! They were meant to be at training ten minutes ago but they had gotten tied up in the tack room! Shit!

"That's Codatorta the Terrible. We should probably get going," Brandon said, suddenly noticing the slightly panicked look on Sky's face.

"Sorry I couldn't be more help you guys," Sky said as he and Brandon headed off. He really wanted to stay and help find Stella, but their instructor was not going to be happy with their tardiness.

"See you later," Brandon added.

"Bye guys!" Flora called after them.

"What was that all about?" Brandon asked as he and Sky walked off.

"I'll tell you later, but right now we're ten minutes late for class," Sky pointed out. Brandon's blue eyes widened and he quickly glanced at the clock.

"Oh no!" he cursed, picking up the pace. Luckily, the Q-Store was on the way to the field that they were meant to be at, so they were able to catch Riven and Timmy. "Guys! We forgot practice! Let's go!"

Riven muttered a very colourful phrase, before abandoning the crate he was supposed to be carrying to the stable. "Yo! Q-Monkey! (2) We'll be back later!"

"What?" the Quarter Master asked, coming out of his Q-Store, but the two boys that were supposed to be helping were already gone, bolting after Sky and Brandon towards the field.

"Nice of you to join us, boys," the instructor welcomed calmly. While Professor Javelin (3) tended to teach the theory side of the boys studies more, he did help out with the boys physical grading when needed which was exactly what was expected of the boys now.

"We're sorry sir," Sky panted. "We – "

"While I'm sure you have a wonderful excuse I don't want to hear it," Javelin told them in the same, even tone. Javelin was a tall, slim man who, in the two years the boys had known him, had never once lost his temper or raised his voice in anger. If he lost his patience with his students, he would only raise the volume of his voice, but keep that same composed tone which most students found more disturbing than if he was to get anger at them. "May I just remind you boys that you are all on unstable ground at the moment – some more than others – and that you'd better lift you game if you're going to change that."

"Yes sir."

"And now that I've given you a chance to catch your breath, you have to run five laps around the oval. Go."

Each fortnight, every student at Red Fountain was put through a fitness test so that the teachers could keep a record of their stamina. It was easy enough; five laps around the oval, one hundred sit ups and seventy-five push ups, all of which were timed to give the teachers some kind of understanding to where the boys were at physically.

"So what did the girls want?" Brandon asked as the boys were put through the final stage of push ups. After being put through this on a regular basis the boys had reached a level of fitness that allowed them to talk while they did their exam.

"Stella's missing," Sky said, pushing up again. "Apparently I asked her on a date last night and she's been acting weird ever since."

"But you were . . . here . . . last night," Timmy pointed out between push ups.

"I know. That's why I'm worried."

"She'll be fine," Riven assured the prince, lying on his stomach since he had finished his seventy-five push ups. "I've always likened Stella to a cockroach; you can nuke her with radioactive bombs and she'll stick around."

"What a charming observation," Brandon grinned, also dropping onto his stomach after finishing his exam. But it didn't easy Sky's mind.

"I'm worried," he confessed, reaching his seventieth push up. Only five more to go. Any efforts the other might have to comfort him was cut off as Javelin came over to them.

"Resting?" he asked softly to Brandon and Riven.

"Finished sir," Brandon answered.

"Well then you two won't mind doing an extra lap around the oval."

"Yes sir," the two groaned, getting to their feet.

"This isn't a relaxation resort, boys. Now go."

"Race ya?" Riven smirked at Brandon, which the blonde returned.

"Oh you are so on."

"Do you think Brandon will ever beat him?" Timmy asked as the two rivals sprinted off. Riven took an early lead, and like always it looked like he was going to hold it.

"No," Sky shook his head, sitting up on his knees. Riven had grown up as a pick pocket on the streets, so he had needed to know how to run when things turned sour. Brandon was fast, there was no denying that, but there wasn't anyone that could match Riven in a leg race. "But he'll keep trying."

* * *

"Dude, eat!" Brandon ordered his prince that night at dinner. The brunette continued to stare at his food, pushing it around his plate aimlessly. Sky had been distracted even since the girls visit. He had been much slower in his fitness exam then normal, he had zoned out completely during their afternoon classes and it had taken him two hours to put together just one dragon bride. 

"I can't," Sky sighed, pushing his plate away from him. "I'm worried about Stella."

"I told you about the text message Bloom sent me," Brandon said. "They found her."

"Still . . ."

"Why don't you call her?" Timmy suggested.

"Oh yeah. That's a good idea. 'Hi Stella, it's Sky. Remember me? I'm the guy that asked you on a date then stood you up'. And before you even start, I know it was the witches that sent her that note, but that would probably just make her awkward or something."

"Just call her," Brandon ordered with a slight roll of his eyes. He knew the only way for his friend to put his mind at easy was to talk to the princess, and he also knew that after a bit of hesitation, Sky would eventually do it.

Later that night, Sky sat alone in his room, staring at his phone. Timmy and Brandon had taken Lady outside for a walk and Riven was still held up in the kitchens with Jacob.

"Just call her," Sky said to himself. "Just call her."

Sky went as far has selecting her name from the list of numbers he had in his phone and placed his thumb on the call button, but then he froze. All he had to do was press that button . . .

"Who am I kidding? I can't do this," Sky sighed, dropping the hand that held his phone into his lap. What he didn't realize, was that in the drop, his thumb pressed down onto the call button and the phone started the connection to the Princess of Solaria.

"Hello?" Sky heard someone say and he quickly glance around the room. No one was there. Sky shook his head, but then he heard it again. "Hello? Prince Sky? Are you there?"

"Huh?"

"Sky! Are you even there?" the voice asked again, and Sky suddenly realized that he had somehow dialed Stella. Trying not to panic, he quickly raised the phone to his ear.

"Um, hello? Hello? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," Stella answered on the other end. "Is everything alright?"

"Um, yeah. Yeah, everything's cool. Um, how did you know it was me?"

"Caller ID."

"Oh right. Right. Right, right, right, right, right. Righty-O. Right."

"Sky, stop saying right."

"Right. I mean . . . Are you okay?"

"I sure am. Are you?"

"I'm fine. Just fine. The girls came over today. They said you were missing."

"Oh yeah that. The senior witches like kidnapped me and held me hostage until Bloom gave them the Ring of Solaria. But me and the girls are totally going to get it back off them."

"Kidnapped?"

"Oh, it sounds a lot more dramatic than it really was. I'm perfectly fine, except for one thing."

"What?"

"I'm like totally behind in my homework since I missed all my classes today, so, even though I would so prefer to keep talking to you all night, I really got to go," Stella told him, and he could hear the disappointment in her voice.

"That's cool, and Stella, when things are back to normal with my school and things are okay for you, I'd love to take one that date I missed last night."

"Me too, but let's go to a different place besides the Black Lagoon Café."

"Deal."

"Bye Prince Sky."

"Bye Stella."

* * *

_(1) I know this guy _

_(2) For all of you that don't know, the Quarter Store or Q-Store is where we keep all our equipment in the military and it's the Quarter Master's (or Q-Monkey as we called them) job to keep track of all of it. My boyfriend you the Q-Monkey for my old cadet unit so we managed to tax a whole bunch of gear when we left_

_(3) I needed a teacher to teach the theory side of the boys classes since I kind of find it hard to picture Codatorta in a classroom. Thus, Javelin was created_

_Oh, and P.S. I detest cutting up onions. TBC_


	6. Secret Guardian

_This chapter has a lot of nothing in it. I personally don't really like it but it has to be in there because of the way I'm doing this. Oh, I guess the take between Timmy and Brandon sets up stuff later, but other than that there's nothing of real importance. Anyhoo . . .

* * *

_

**Chapter Six – Secret Guardian **

"_Bark!"_

Riven woke from his dream about Musa with a jerk. One minute he was asleep, the next he was wide awake, and standing by his bed with a foolish grin on her face was Lady.

"Lady! Piss off!" Riven shouted, collapsing back into bed. That scared the living daylights out of him. "Brandon! Doesn't that dog of yours understand the concept of sleeping in?"

"You have kitchen duty," Brandon reminded him sleepily, snuggling deeper into his bed. "You don't have a sleep in."

"I sleep in till Jacob gets me. _That_ my sleep in. Stupid dog."

"She's just trying to help."

"I don't need help. I need sleep."

"Shut up Riven and go make me breakfast," Sky ordered from somewhere under his covers. He was rewarded with one of Riven's pillows getting hurled his way. "Thanks Riven. I needed another pillow."

"I so feel like doing nothing today," Timmy yawned, watching Riven reluctantly getting ready for his duties. Unfortunately they had to get up and get ready for class. "I really wish it was the weekend already."

"I gotta whiz something fierce," Sky suddenly announced, kicking his covers off him. "I woke up in the middle of the night and had to pee but I didn't go, and now I need to piss like a pregnant woman."

"Yeah we really needed to know that," Brandon called after his friend as the brunette sprinted from the room. A fully dressed Riven rolled his eyes and left for the kitchens while Brandon shook his head in disbelief. "He can be so uncouth sometimes."

"I know," Timmy agreed. "I can't believe he's a prince with some of the things he says."

"Yeah," Brandon said softly. After lying in for a little longer, he felt the leg of his pajama pants getting pulled at, accompanied by soft growling. "Okay Lady. I'm up. I'm up. Man, she is a slave driver. She's like a nanny or something, making sure we get up on time."

"She's better than an alarm clock," Timmy smiled, also getting up. Whenever Timmy got up in the morning he could switch on his computer out of pure habit, but recently Brandon had come to notice that he had added checking his emails to that list, and he was pretty sure he knew why.

"Expecting an email off someone?" Brandon asked casually, pulling on his shoes. "Maybe from someone from Alfea, perhaps?"

"No, just checking," Timmy assured, but he did blush slightly.

"Dude, we all know you're crushing Tecna. You don't have to hide it from us."

"Tecna and I are just friends."

"You are aware that like nobody believe that?"

"What about you and Bloom? What do you call that?"

"Well, we're friends. Sort of."

"You are aware that like nobody believe that?" Timmy repeated. "It's obvious you like the girl Brandon, and she really likes you. Me and Tecna aren't at that stage yet, but you are. Why don't you just ask her out?"

Brandon sighed and paused from brushing his hair. He knew what was stopping him from asking Bloom out, and it was driving him crazy. He could really use an opinion besides Sky's on this one.

"Because . . . Because . . . Timmy, can I tell you something?"

"Sure Brandon. You know that."

"I know but . . . Only Sky knows about it. I haven't told anyone here about this yet and it's kinda, I don't know, weird. So like, I'm not trying to hide anything from anyone but . . . I . . ."

"I'll keep it a secret," Timmy promised, knowing where Brandon stammering was going. "I won't tell anyone."

"Not Riven?"

"Not Riven."

"Tecna?"

"Not even Tecna. Now what is it? Spill."

"Well you see . . . I'm kinda . . . sorta . . . betrothed."

Timmy stared at his friend for a second, trying to comprehend the information that he had just been told. "Betrothed? As in betrothed to marriage to, like, another person?"

"That's generally what betrothed means," Brandon sighed, running a nervous hand through his blonde hair. "Look, it was a family agreement between mine and hers. It's supposed to further both of us socially. It's was decided years ago and I really didn't have a say in the matter but I can't stop thinking about Bloom. I-I . . . I don't know what to do."

"Wow," Timmy gasped. "That's pretty . . . heavy. I mean, I know there were still arranged marriages going on but that's normally in higher society. Imagine what this world's coming to if squires are getting engaged to further their family."

"I know. It's insane," Brandon exclaimed, dropping down to sit on the edge of his bed with his head hung low. "But my family agreed to it and I'm bond to it by honor and yet . . . Bloom. She's all I can think about. And it's just not fair on any of us."

Timmy was silent for a minute as Brandon stared at his hands. Timmy realized how horrible this must be for his friend. He had feelings for one girl but promised to another. Suddenly Timmy found his uncertain thing with Tecna might not be so complicated. "What's her name?"

"Huh? Who?"

"Your . . . The girl that your family agreed to."

"Oh," Brandon sighed, reaching into his dresser draw and pulling out the hologram picture he had been give by his fiancé. He glanced at it, and then handed it over for Timmy to have a look. "Diaspro."

"She's pretty."

"Yeah, but I don't feel anything for her. Least not in the way I do with Bloom. I have no idea what I'm going to do."

"Well, I not that sure either. I've never been in a situation like that," Timmy confessed. "But I don't think you should stop seeing Bloom. I mean, get to know her a bit more. It might prove to be just an infatuation but at least you won't wonder 'what if'. And if it does work out, maybe you can get out of this thing with Diaspro. Your parents want you to be happy, don't they? And you never know; Diaspro could find someone and not want to be with you either."

"Yeah, maybe," Brandon shrugged though he honestly didn't think that might happen. Diaspro was set on making him her husband, and his parents were desperate for the alliance. But he really wanted to hang out with Bloom, so he figured he's take Timmy's advice. "Thanks Timmy."

"Don't worry about."

* * *

Prince Sky walked aimless through the halls of Red Fountain humming the tone of a commercial he had stuck in his head. He was receiving strange looks from the people who passed him, but he didn't know if it was because the tune was advertising nasal delivery technology for erectile dysfunction or because they were just weirdoes. (1)

He was trying to remember what Jacob would be serving for lunch when he spotted someone who might know, and Prince Sky's eyes narrowed slightly when he saw who else was with him. Sky knew Riven was a big boy and could talk to whoever he wanted, and he also knew that one of the boys, fellow sophomore Lex, was a good kid that just happened to have all the wrong habits, but Sky drew the line when it came to the senior Francis.

"Yo Riven! C'mere bro!" Sky called, trying to get Riven away from the senior.

"Why?" Riven shot back.

"Because I said so!"

"This better be important," Riven growled with a roll of his eyes. "See ya Frankie."

"Yeah, bye Frank," Lex waved, leaving with Riven. Lex was a short kid with black spiky hair that was cropped much closer than Rivens. He had unnerving pale blue eyes and not much intelligence which is probably why his picked up such bad habits like smoking and heavy drinking. He also seemed pretty thankful that Sky had given him a chance to escape Francis. "Thank god you showed up, Sky. That guys a freak. I'll catch ya later, Riv."

"Bye Lex," Riven nodded and the smaller sophomore scurried off leaving the prince alone with his roommate. "What do want, Sky?"

"What are they serving for lunch?" Sky asked as they began walking down the hallway.

"You called me over to ask me that?"

"No," Sky said, giving his friend a hard look. "I thought a told you to stay away from him."

"What Lex? He's harmless. A bit obsessed with sex maybe. I bet he'll be a virgin forever because of it since – "

"I meant Francis."

"He'll kill you if he hears you calling him that," Riven reminded the prince. "It's either Frank or Frankie. Never Francis. Remember what he did to the last guy that called him that to his face. He totally snapped him."

"Riven!"

"We were just talking. Relax. I can choose my own friends, mother."

"But not Frankie. The guy's bad news and he drags people down. Now you're a right royal pain in the ass sometimes but you're still my friend and I'm not going to let any my friends getting messed up with drugs or anything else that guy's messing with."

"Chill Sky. I don't do drugs, but I'll sleep easier tonight knowing that you're there to save me from evil seniors and their sinful ways," Riven said with a slight roll of his eyes. (2) "Anything else?"

"Yeah, do you think Stella will ever have nasal sex with me?"

Riven didn't laugh often unless it was at someone else's expense, so it was always a bit of a thrill for Sky whenever he managed to say something that Riven found legitimately funny, and Riven found what he had just said funny.

"You've got that tune from the nasal delivery technology for erectile dysfunction ad stuck in your head, don't you?" Riven laughed. "Sniff and Stiff?"

"I know they didn't call it that, but they bloody well should," Sky grinned, and then the two headed off to figure out what was for lunch.

* * *

_(1) I was listening to a song about nasal delivery technology for erectile dysfunction when I was writing this. Yes, there is such a song._

_(2) Oh, the irony._

_Like I said, there's nothing of much value in this chapter. That whole scene with Sky and Riven is basically set up some irony later on. The character of Francis really does nothing in this story. He's just the guy who's into the drugs and stuff at Red Fountain. Every grade has people like that so why should this one be any different? I don't think he'll really do anything past that. _

_Lex, on the other hand, is my idiot who may crop up every now and again mainly because I need someone to hang out with Riven when he stops talking with the other guys. And who doesn't like a clown? I mean like a class clown. Actual clowns scare me which is ironic because I work at McDonalds for a time. _


	7. Grounded

_I really like this chapter. I don't know why, I just do. Heads up, Sky finally moves a move on Stella. _

_

* * *

_

**Chapter Seven – Grounded**

"You reckon the girls will be there tonight?" Sky asked as he did up the fly to his pants. He had showered, fixed his hair, gotten changed and was actually looking pretty good for the concert that was being held at Magix Stadium. He just hoped Stella would be there so she could see just how good he looked.

"Does it matter?" Riven shrugged, running some product into his hair. While Riven's hair had naturally discovered some way to defy the laws of gravity, he still needed to use product to avoid it sticking out in all dictions and making him look like what Sky had once described as an evil court jester. "This concert's going to drag anyway."

"Hey, I happen to like Charmed Life."

"Enough said."

"You don't have to go, man."

"He wants to go," Brandon answered for Riven. "He's just complaining for the sake of complaining. There's just no pleasing you Riv."

Riven _humph_ed, but he still continued to get ready. The school was providing them with transport to the stadium, so they just filling in time until the bell signaled that it was time to go. They were all ready and waiting when Prince Sky's ring tone went off.

"It's Stella!" Sky exclaimed when he looked at the caller ID.

"She's probably calling to make sure we're going to the concert." Brandon said as Sky answered his phone and began talking with Stella. "And this means we can find out if girls are going."

"Cool," Timmy grinned. He was hoping for another chance to talk with Tecna, and it looked like that was going to happen.

"The Winx Club needs our help!" Sky announced seriously, hanging up his phone. "We depart immediately."

"Who the hell is the Jinx Club?" Riven asked, ignoring the command.

"It's the girls. They gave their group a name."

"Are you kidding me? What? Are they in primary school? Gods."

"What's wrong?" Brandon asked Sky, his face clearly concerned. The girls needed their help? What if something horrible happened? What if those witches went after them again? Those seniors did seem to have some kind of vendetta against Bloom and the others, so it wasn't that hard to believe.

"Dunno," Sky shrugged, digging out the keys to his levi bike. "Stella just said that they were in desperate need of some heroics and bravery. Let's go."

"Right!" Timmy agreed, jumping to his feet, his own keys in hand.

"What about the concert?" Riven asked, but he had also grabbed his keys and was ready to follow the others. When Sky had said that the Jinx Club or whatever they were calling themselves these days were in desperate need of their help, his chest constricted for some reason and he felt himself go into some kind of panic that he could quite explain. He also couldn't explain why Musa's face filled his mind.

"I thought you said it was going to be a drag," Timmy pointed out.

"I told you; complaining just for the sake of it," Brandon said with a shake of his head. "And if we fix whatever's wrong quickly, maybe we can give the girls a lift to the concert on our bikes."

"Parking will be a bitch," Riven told them all. "Plus there are only four of us and five of them."

"Oh, just come on," Brandon ordered, before noticing they had an extra member of their little group. "No, not you Lady."

"She can come," Sky objected. "I'll let her ride with me."

"I don't think you can take a dog to Alfea," Timmy told the prince.

"Why not? She can be our mascot."

"If you even try to think of a name for us liken those pixies did, I will be forced to kill you with my bare hands," Riven threatened as they made their way to the school garage.

* * *

"You guys didn't waste any time did you?" Stella greeted them when they pulled into the grounds of Alfea. With a laugh she skipped over to Sky's bike and the boys all removed their helmets. One look at the school was enough to confirm that everyone was at the concert, and it also didn't give off the appearance that there was anything that required desperate heroics and bravery.

"So ah, exactly what kind of heroics and bravery do you girls need?" Sky asked, his thoughts suddenly becoming distance as he became lost in the honey eyes of the princess.

"Oh, you'll see," Stella assured him with a flirtatious little smile. Turning her back on him, she looked back over her shoulder and urged him to follow her with her index finger, and Sky could help but notice the rather seductive way she was looking at him. "Follow me, boys."

"Gladly," Sky breathed hotly, almost knocking his bike to the ground in his rush. Lady was not as fortunate. She gave Sky a somewhat disapproving look from where she had fallen to the ground, but the prince was far to captivated with the blonde beckoning him to follow to notice. Just in case there was any trouble, the boys left their levi bikes in sleeper mood, meaning that the engines were off but could be turn on in an instant if it was required. Cautiously, the boys followed Stella into the Great Hall.

"Hey guys!" Bloom greeted them all warmly, and the other members of the Winx Club followed suit. The boys all responded to the greeting in their own way, but were a bit alarmed to see the girls armed to the teeth with cleaning products.

"So, what's going on?" Brandon asked, not exactly sure what to make of the situation.

"Um, we just needed a little help," Flora said, failing horribly at trying to cover up the girls' ulterior motive.

"And we knew you guys would leap at the chance to help some gorgeous girls," Stella gushed, striking a glamorous pose.

"Oh yeah, and when are these gorgeous girls getting here?" Riven asked casually, mocking the insult she had directed at him when they were in the Black Mud Swamp. She got his point, and glared at him with blazing, yellow eyes.

"You know what Timmy, I think totally Riven needs a lend of you glasses. Your eye sights slipping in your old age, Riven," Stella shot back, ignoring the fact that she was the same age as him.

"Alright guys, chillax and pay attention," Musa commanded, dunking her mop into one of the buckets. With a slosh the dropped the mop head onto the ground and began to show them how to mop. "Here are the steps. Soak up, scrub and rise," she demonstrated before twirling on the spot. "See, it's not too hard. Ha!"

"We skipped a concert for this?" Riven spat, confirming Brandon's thought that he only complained for the sake of complaining. The other three boys exchanged a look that stated that they all understood it now.

"Oh come on. It'll be a blast. Now take you're weapons boys!" Bloom told them, throwing a mop to Brandon, and then to Sky which the boys caught easily. "Heads up!"

"Nice catch," Brandon congratulated Sky. Timmy, however, was not as graceful. When Bloom threw his mop his way, the computer genius fumbled and almost dropped it, but managed to get a hold of it before it fell to the floor.

"Very smooth Timster," Riven told him while Timmy let out an embarrassed but triumphant little laugh.

"Riven," Bloom warned, throwing a mop his way. The burgundy specialist made no effort to unfold his arms and catch the cleaning instrument, which fell with a clatter to the ground.

Flora, her mop in hand, turned up the music the girls had on the radio. "Alright guys, let's turn it up and get rockin'."

"Come on everybody. Mop and step and yeah!" Musa rallied, twirling her mop like a baton before skipping off.

"Dance with me, Sky," Stella begged with a laugh, grabbing her mop and was joined by not only Sky but also Bloom and Brandon in a chorus line. Everyone (save Riven) was getting into it. Even Blooms pet rabbit, and they found that Bloom was right; they really did have a blast.

"You heard of hip hop? Well this is hit mop" Musa exclaimed in a tone that indicated she was extremely proud of her little play on words while everyone was doing a unified twirl of their mops.

"Lame," Riven said dryly to himself from his place to the side. That dance seemed strangely choreographed to him for some reason, but all the flying water had resulted in a few damp shirts, so he didn't question it.

"You could help, you know," Stella told him, purposely sloshing some water his way, but Riven calmly lift the only foot that was in danger.

"You and I both know that's not going to happen, Stella."

"Well, thank goodness we have some real men here," Stella said, locking eyes with Sky, a playful soft smile on her lips. Sky suddenly felt light headed. Things were defiantly heating up between them.

* * *

By the time they finished the cleaning the concert was pretty much half over, so no one really saw the point in going anywhere. Then Stella came up with the idea of holding their own little party since they pretty much had the run of the school. The boys were sent to raid the kitchen while the girls got changed into dry clothes. Luckily, the Maestro had his kitchen arranged almost identically to the way his little brother over at Red Fountain had his kitchen set up, so Riven was able to ferret out everything they needed without much difficulty since he spent so much time on kitchen duty one could almost mistake him for being on the faculty.

"Well, it's not what we planned for tonight, but this could end up being pretty fun too," Brandon told the other boys as they waited on the couches for the girls to join them.

"Oh yes, there's no better way to pass the time then by cleaning," Riven said, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Well, that must be true since you're always getting in trouble so you'll be put on cleaning duty at Red Fountain," Timmy pointed out, trying to block out the burning look Riven directed his way. "Oh lighten up. It'll be fun."

"I bet you can't name one thing that's appealing about this place."

"Why name it when you can see it?" Sky asked, his voice and his face slipping into some kind of dreamy state. The rest of the boys followed his gaze and when they saw what he saw, their eyes widened.

The girls had gotten changed out of the clothes they usually wore, and had put on party clothes that for some reason exposed more skin then their other attire did. A wide smile spread across Sky's face from the dress Stella was wearing, and a bit of colour had found its way into Timmy's cheeks as he shyly snuck looks at Tecna. It was the first time both Brandon had Riven had seen Bloom and Musa in a skirt, and Brandon was absolutely thrilled while Riven looked more like a deer caught in headlights.

"See now, isn't this better then some concert?" Sky asked Riven softly enough so the girls couldn't hear. Riven broke himself out of his trance and glared at Sky with blazing eyes. "Dude, you know it is okay to like a girl."

"What is his problem?" Brandon sighed to Sky as Riven stormed off to take his usual pose against the wall with arms folded. Timmy had managed to get a spot next to Tecna on the couch, and the two were causally chatting.

"Oh, he's just a control freak who doesn't like it how he has no say in his attraction to Musa," Sky explain. "Seriously, the guy would rather go down in flames than lose control of a situation."

"I don't believe that."

"Hello! Look at what he did in Saladin's office after that thing in the Black Mud Swamp. He choose the flames, dude."

Brandon may have wanted to delve deeper into the messed up mind of his friend, but the girls reminded him that this was supposed to be a party, so it was time to have some fun.

"The cleaning is _fin-e-toe_. (1) It's time to get the party started and DJ Musa's at the turn tables. Let's see," Musa thought out loud as she observed her massive collection of CD's. Coolly, she threw the discs across the room and the all landed in one of four CD player. "Tunes for the east wing, west wing, north wing and south wing!"

The four CD players were hooked up to different sound systems throughout the school, and when they all started to play at once they created a perfect sound and beat as the bounced off and merged with one another.

"This is awesome!" Brandon exclaimed to Sky as they joined the girls in dancing to the music. While he was enjoying himself, Brandon always kept one eye on Stella and Bloom as they danced together.

"Dude, are you going to ask Bloom to dance or not?" Sky smirked.

"Depends, are you going to ask Stella."

"I'll get around to it."

"Oh come on, bro. Aren't you always telling us what a lady killer you are? Well, here's a new-flash, Casanova; so far Timmy's making more progress tonight then you are."

"Excuse me? Have you seen the smoldering looks Stella and I have been having? They are _intense_. I bet all Timmy and Tecna talk about are their computers. There's nothing intense about that."

"I thought you said software was sexy."

"Sexy, not intense."

But in contrast to what Sky thought, Timmy was trying to turn the conversation away from computers so that Tecna didn't get the impression that he was nothing more then a computer nerd. He was trying to get up the nerve to as her to dance with him, but he found he couldn't just come right out and say it. So he tried a subtler approach. "Do you like to dance, Tecna?"

"Not especially," Tecna answered, and Timmy let out a small sigh of relief. He may have wanted to dance with her, but that didn't change the fact that he wasn't very graceful when he danced. "I don't really know any dance steps."

"I'll tell you the steps I know. Step one: Don't dance, you get it?" Timmy tried to crack a joke. Tecna smiled at it, but it turn into a frown as Riven decided to make his own snide response to the joke.

"Whoa . . . Timmy! Keep falling like that and we'll start calling you Timber."

Tecna glared at him and _humph_ed while Timmy seemed a bit embarrassed. But he did feel a bit better as Tecna stood by him and gave him some advice. "Don't listen to him, Timmy. Some sick people find cruelty funny and they'll get what's coming to them."

Riven was still laughing to himself from the embarrassed look on Timmy's face when the sound of cheering reached his ears. Glance over to see what was that cause of such a reaction from the others, Riven felt his mouth go dry as he watched Princess Musa showing off her impressive dance skills. He didn't miss the smoldering sideways glances she directed his way, or the way her skirt rode up slightly as she spun on the spot, and he could feel himself starting to sweat from just watching her.

"Hey! I'm having fun!" Brandon shattered Riven's thoughts, bring him back to reality.

"Good for you. I'm glad someone is. I'm getting some air, bro," Riven said, heading outside. Leaning against the railing and staring down at his hands without seeing them, Riven tried desperately to force Musa out of his mind.

'She's a princess, you fool,' he reminded himself. 'You don't have a chance with her.'

He kept repeating that fact over and over again within his mind and planned to do that until it sunk in when he felt a shiver go down his spin, making his blood go cold for some reason. Dismissing it as simply a cold breeze, Riven turned around and headed back inside.

In the dark below him, a pair of golden eyes watched him leave before turning to focus on the task at hand.

* * *

"And at this point there are still ten frost giants left," Timmy told the girls as the recounted their first class mission to the Realm of Frost in freshmen year. Sky had been arguing with Riven while they were there, so the prince was preoccupied in creating insults when he fired the flare they were using to try and find the class they had become separated from, which went flying straight into the center of a group of frost giants. The giants had not been impressed with being scared like that, and they decided to take it out on the group of boys.

"You guys must have been freaking out!" Bloom exclaimed. Brandon had given her a very impressive description of the frost giants with only the smallest bit of over exaggeration.

"You should have seen these things. They've got biceps the size of oak trees," Sky said, remembering being lifted up by one of the giants and being hurled as easily as one might throw a doll. He had ended up with a fair amount of snow going down the collar of his uniform from the landing and the most painful snow burn down the left side of his face.

Flora, however, wasn't too convinced with their story. "Frost giants are usually very gentle."

'Not when you scare them with flares they aren't,' Sky thought to him self while out loud he simply settled on saying, "Not these guys."

"Hey, do you, er, what the last buckie-by sandwich Sky?" Stella asked, offering the plate to him. If he was hungry for anything, it wasn't food. Still, the way she watched him with those honey eyes made his legs got weak and his mouth go dry.

"No, but I'm kinda thirsty."

Stella quickly replaced the plate with a jug, and Sky grinned at the adorable little way she jumped back up and offered it to him. "Valla!"

"Thanks. So finally we . . ." Sky trailed off as the whole room started to shake. The drink Stella was pouring for him spilt all over his hand, but Sky was too distracted by the deep rumbling noise that filled his ears to take any notice. "Huh?"

"What's that?" Bloom gasped as everyone tried to keep their balance on the wavering floor. Something had shaken the entire school down to its very foundations.

"Maybe a dragon got lose?" Flora took a stab, but Alfea didn't have any dragons. They were all kept in the stables at Red Fountain under such heavy security there was no way the stable hands would ever let them get out by accident.

"Let's check outside," Stella suggested, and everyone seemed to agree that was a good place to start. The teenagers moved out onto the balcony, but the grounds of Alfea were empty and still. Nothing seemed out of place. "I don't see anything. It must have been some kind of mini quake. Oh well, no biggy."

But the stillness was broken by one of the teachers desk being thrown out the window. Those desks were heavy, so whatever had thrown it clearly had a lot of strength.

"Over there! Let's go!" Sky ordered, and the others didn't need to be told twice. Placing his thumb and one of his fingers into his mouth, Riven let out a shrilled whistle that activated the levi bikes out of their sleeper mode. With a roar, the engines kicked themselves into life and flew themselves over to their owners. Casually, the boys jumped the railing, landed on the bikes and flew themselves down to where it appeared this unknown danger had been.

The usually unnaturally clean undercover walkway was covered in dust, rubble and other kinds of debris. Something big had barged its way directly through the wall, leaving behind a massive hole.

"Griselda's not going to like this," Sky commented, flinching at just the thought of how the beady-eyed teacher would react when she saw this mess, and somehow he knew that he and the other guys would cop some of the blame.

"Half the wall is gone," Brandon gasped, looking at the hole in awe. He knew it was their duty to hunt down whatever caused this, but whatever it was, it was big. Brandon was mentally preparing himself to lead off on the hunt, when he heard footsteps behind him.

"See anything?" Musa asked, joining them along with the rest of the Winx Club. Each boy, although comforted by the girls, felt a certain level of panic that a certain individual to each of them were placing themselves in this kind of danger. The girls had already explained to them about Punishment 4-D which was enforced upon them, and whatever this thing was it wasn't something the boys thought the girls could take on without their powers, and the girls seemed to see that. "Whoa!"

Timmy took in all the evidence, and had dismissed the possibility that this mess was created by a mob of people. "This damage was caused by some kind of creature."

Tecna leaned in to take a closer look at the wall the creature had burst through. "_Hmm_. A very big creature."

Riven wanted to hit her over the head for that comment. Did they really need someone playing Captain Obvious at the moment? "Really? Tell us something we don't know."

Tecna turn to look at him coolly and then did just that. "It's three meters tall and weighs close to a ton. Its fur is bristly, not soft. It walks upright, has honed in addition to multiple clawed limbs and it give off a foul musky odor."

Riven looked a bit sour as Timmy swelled with pride. That girl was amazing.

Stella found Tecna's reply hilarious and burst out laughing at Riven. "She told you!"

Riven was about to rip into her since he'd rather insult Stella than Tecna, but he was cut off by another rumble that shook the whole school and Stella high pitched squealing.

"It's that way!" Brandon pointed into the dark school. Of course, it only made sense that the monster had gone into the school after creating the hole, but it was considerate enough to leave a clear trial of destruction for the boys to follow unlike the troll in the swamp.

"Come on guys. Phantom blades out," Sky ordered, unleashing his broadsword. Brandon and Riven followed suit with their sword and saber, while Timmy pulled out not only a sword, but the gun that he felt more comfortable with. Cautiously, the boys started off after the monster.

"Wait, we're coming too," Bloom said firmly.

"Okay," Brandon agreed. If she was with him, he'd know she was safe. Riven, however thought the opposite.

"No way. You girls just go find some place to hide. You'll probably get in the way," he told them, momentarily locking eyes with Musa. He couldn't explain it, but he had a need to protect that girl, and taking her right up to whatever this creature happened to be wasn't a safe idea. It was best if she kept herself out of danger, but she didn't seem too impressed with his wording. He could feel her eyes burn into him as he turned and followed the rest of the guys through the hole in the wall and into the dark.

"The girls could have come, you know," Sky said to Riven when he had caught up with the others. "At least then we'll know where they are so that they don't bump into this monster on their own."

"Dude, they don't have any powers," Riven reminded him. "Do you want you girlfriend to get killed? Cause if you do I'll be more than happy to go get her and bring her here. I'll even tie a little bow on her for the monster if you think it'll like it."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"You can't say that after the way you've been eye screwing each other all night."

"Eye screwing?" Timmy repeated. "Is that even a term?"

"That's the cleaner version of it since we have a lady present."

"But you chased the girls off."

"He's referring to me," Brandon told Timmy in an un-amused tone. He had been friends with Riven long enough to recognize an insult when it was directed at him. Brandon suddenly remembered that Lady was here somewhere. Hopefully she was smart enough to find a hiding place and stay there until this was over and done with.

The group fell quiet as then moved deeper into the school. They had spent all night cleaning this place, and even in the dark they could tell that everything was trashed.

"Give us some light, Timmy," Sky commanded when the mess led them to one of the rooms. There was only one door to this room, so the monster had trapped itself.

"Coming right up," Timmy answered, letting off a flare similar to the one Sky had upset the frost giants with in freshmen year. The room was suddenly lit up, and the boys could the extent of the damage.

"This things a wreaking machine," Brandon noted. Tables were over turned, chairs were reduced to splitters and there seemed to be a large amount of rubble littering the room. The only thing missing was the one responsible for all this mess.

"Look up there," Riven pointed out. He had noticed it when they had first entered the room since his night vision was stronger than the others, but he had been blinded from the flare due to his sensitive sight.

"It's got jump," Sky commented almost causally. "It's on the second level. Let's go."

Silently the boys moved through the dark to find a stair case to get up to the next level of the school, but once they found a set and got to the top they were a bit lost with what they were supposed to do. They weren't certain if they could find the hole the monster had created as it upped through the ceiling which was in fact the floor on this level, and it would take too long to search each room for some kind of lead.

"What now?" Timmy question, his finger resting on the trigger of his gun. "Do we split up?"

"No way," Sky instantly dismissed. "Safety in numbers."

"But we've got to find this thing fast. It's already created enough damage as it is," Brandon hissed softly. And then, the sound of crawls clicking across the stone floor behind them reached his ears. Turning and straining his eyes to see through the darkness, Brandon saw something making its way up the stairs behind them and he gripped the hilt of his blade tighter. But when the creature got closer, Brandon's eyes widen. "Lady?"

"What she doing here?" Timmy wondered out loud.

The dog trotted over to them, looking up at each in turn and sniffing in their scent. Then she moved past them down one of the corridors for a few meters before pausing and looking over her shoulder at the boys. Calmly, she let her tongue roll out one side of her mouth, almost as if she was waiting for them.

"I think she wants us to follow her," Sky said, staring at the dog.

"Are you kidding me?" Riven asked, his eyes also locked on her.

"It makes sense," Timmy told them. "Dogs have been used in hunting for years due to their ability pick up a scent and follow it. I think she can smell where this monster is."

"Let's go guys," Brandon finalized, moving off to follow Lady. She wagged her short little tail when she saw them trailing her, and she continued her way through the dark, looking over her shoulder every now and then to make she they were still behind her. She'd also pause sometimes to give them the chance to catch up with her, but at one point she stopped and sat down on her back hunches. "What is it, girl?"

Lady looked up at him and simply wagged her tail, banging it against the ground. And then, somewhere ahead of them, the boys heard the girls as well as what had to be the creature they were tracking.

"Good job, Lady," Sky patted her on the head. She had that funny little smile dogs seem to have on her face as she looked up at him, then she got up and trotted back the way they had just come to go find a safe place to hide.

"Smart dog," Riven commented, watching her go off into the darkness, but then he heard Flora call out, and what she said was enough to snap him back to the task at hand.

"Musa! Jump!"

The boys hurried towards the noise, and got there in time to see Musa flipping onto a fully grown Minotaur. What a Minotaur was doing on the grounds of Alfea was beyond the boys, but they didn't have time to contemplate it.

"You're going down!" Musa told the monster, doing a backwards handspring off its head and landing gracefully to the ground behind the Minotaur. Riven released his breath that he wasn't aware that he was holding, and he shook his head slightly to clear his mind. There was sword work here that needed doing.

"Now this is my kind of party. Looks like we got here just in time," he smirked, stalking towards the monster. But as he brushed past Musa, he couldn't stop himself from fixing his eyes on hers without breaking his pace. She had a proud little smile on her face that grew rather shy as Riven's violet eyes locked on hers, but their moment was broken as Riven continued past her.

"Good job Musa," Brandon congratulated, but he sensed that his words just washed over her as she kept sneaking shy glances back at Riven.

"Hey! You with the pony tail!" Riven shouted, trying and succeeding in getting the Minotaurs attention. "If you want a real challenge, come over here."

The Minotaur accepted Riven's challenge with a hateful gaze, and Riven charged forward with a swing of his saber. With a skilled flick of his phantom bladed, Riven slashed the Minotaur across each side of its face and it jerked its head backwards. However, it recovered quickly and rounded on its attacker. Sensing the danger, Riven leapt backwards out of harms way before gearing himself up for another assault.

"Need a hand there, bro?" Brandon offered casually, but Riven being the proud creature he was recklessly dismissed it.

"Just worry about protecting you prince, squire boy," he hissed, moving back into the fight.

"Don't think you're getting all the fun Riven," Sky said, running forward with his board sword ready. Timmy and Brandon were right behind him with their own weapons raised and ready.

"Yeah! Save some for us!" Brandon shouted as they charged, but Riven was too fast for all of them.

"I can handle the . . . huh?" Riven cut himself off as he sensed something was wrong. The last thing he could remember was a massive fist coming around to his left side followed by a soaring pain in the left side of his face. Then everything went black.

"Riven!!" Timmy shouted as the three boys watched their friend get knocked out cold from the Minotaur punched. Riven's limp body flew through the air and smashed through a glass window into another room.

"Heads up!" Sky cried as the Minotaur round onto them. The prince was able to deflect most of the monsters many arms, but one snuck around the green blade to grab him by his vest. With no effort, the Minotaur lifted him off his feet and held him high in the air.

"Hang on, buddy!" Brandon yelled, running in and stabbing the underarm of the arm that held his prince. With roar, the beast dropped Sky and reeled backwards. "You alright, bro?"

"Yeah. Thanks man," Sky panted as he scrambled to his feet. This thing was going to be hard to fight head to head like this. They needed some kind of plan. Unfortunately, the Minotaur savage fighting style didn't give them much time to regroup and they were down a member of their group since Riven hadn't rejoined them. "Oh no. Timmy! Look out!"

With a snarl, the Minotaur charged at Timmy, trying to pin him against the wall with its horns but Timmy managed to jump up at the last second and avoid them.

"Yes! Take that!" he grinned triumphantly, but that smile faded when he realized that he was now stuck crouched upon the horns. The Minotaur noticed that too, and stood up to full height with the Red Fountain student still perched upon its horns. Timmy footing started to slip, and one of his feet dropped down onto the Minotaur's head. He was just out of reach of the Minotaurs clawed hands, but that didn't stop it. With an angry roar, the Minotaur started to head butt the wall in an attempt to make Timmy fall.

"We gotcha, Timmy!" Brandon shouted, running over with Sky. Together, the two blades lashed across the Minotaurs unprotected back. Crying out in pain, the Minotaur spun around and in doing so sending Timmy hurling to the ground. But the Minotaur was no longer interested in him.

"I think we made him angry," Sky noted as four clawed arms reached out towards his and his squire.

"Oh, you think?"

The beast charge, and each boy jumped clear in opposite direction and the Minotaur slammed into the wall that was behind them a second earlier. Sky managed to scramble to his feet quickly, but Brandon lost his footing on the rubble that the Minotaur had created. Falling hard onto his stomach, Brandon tried to find his feet, but he had giving the beast the opportunity it need. Raising one of its hoofed feet, the Minotaur was preparing to drop all its body weight onto the blondes legs and snap them like twigs.

"Oh no you don't!" Sky shouted, rushing in and slicing the beast across the back of the knee of the only grounded leg. The Minotaur's balanced wavered slightly, giving Brandon the chance to jump to his feet. Furious, the Minotaur swung one of its big arms around and hit it across Sky's stomach. The prince flew though the air and slammed into a wall. Either the arm across his stomach or the impact with the wall – possible both – was enough to knock the wind out of Sky. He tried to stand up, but he was too dazed to find his balance. For the moment he was in no condition to fight.

But the Minotaur had all its attention of Timmy and Brandon so it luckily didn't notice. Timmy was concentrating on shooting it in the ankles while Brandon attacked its head in an attempt to try and get it to over balance, but one powerful backhanded sweep of one of its arms collected them both and sent them flying into the wall.

"I don't think this party's fun any more," Timmy panted as the Minotaur roared and swayed aimlessly in some strange, triumphant dance.

"Yeah, just a bit," Brandon hissed through clenched teeth. The Minotaur had finished its danced, and it lowered its horns ready to charge them, and it was mocking them by taking its time. Brandon was struggling to find the strength to stand when a loud banging suddenly filled the hallway.

"Hey! Bull snot!"

"Bloom?" Brandon gasped. The Winx Club were all there playing the buckets like drums. The noise grabbed the Minotaurs attention, and it also seemed to irritate it.

"Wonna dance?" Stella asked, and the Minotaur charged at them. Still to dazed to be of any help, Brandon helplessly watched the girls run off down the dark hallway out of sight, followed closely by the Minotaur.

"Come on guys," Brandon hissed, getting to his feet. His legs nearly buckled underneath him, and he needed to hold onto the wall for support. The other two weren't any better off. "

"What are they thinking?" Sky wondered out loud, trying to see something through the darkness. That's when they heard the Minotaur's confused cry followed by a loud crashing noise followed finally by the Winx Club cheering. "Let's go check it out."

"Look!" Timmy said, pointing to where Riven stumbled into the hallway. He was very unsteady on his legs and couldn't walk a straight line, and pieces of glass kept falling out of his hair as he rubbed his head.

"You alright, bro?" Brandon asked.

"Huh?" Riven replied dumbly. His eyes were dazed, and he seemed to have trouble moving his tongue properly to speak. "Wha? Um, yeah. Yeah, 'M fine. Let's go find dis troll."

"Minotaur," Sky corrected. Riven stared at him for a minute with those hazy violet eyes, before nodding, which almost threw him off balance.

"Right."

"You boys okay?" Flora asked as the girls rejoined them. Every one of them looked like they didn't have a scratch on them.

"Yeah, but I think Riven might have a concussion," Timmy said, watching his friend who had his hands pressed against his head and his eyes close with a pained expression on his face. He swayed slightly so Musa and Flora moved in to help keep him steady.

"What did you girls do?" Sky asked.

"We caused Mr. Ugly to fall over and crash through the wall with a little help from this," Stella explained, showing them all a bottle of liquid soap. "See, you don't need to go to a school for heroics and bravery to totally cream a monster."

"That's awesome!" Brandon congratulated them, ignoring Stella's final comment. "But where's the Minotaur now?"

"Come see," Bloom told them, and the group headed off through the dark.

"We'll have to tell Codatorta and Javelin about that tactic," Timmy said to the rest of the guys before turning to look at Tecna. "That was really good improvisation."

"Thank you," she blushed shyly.

Slowly, Riven's mind started to clear, but a strange smell kept tickling his nose. At times he was certain it was a flower, but there was another scent there that was driving him crazy and not in a bad way. Riven's mind cleared and he noticed that he was being held but not only Musa but Flora as well.

"I can walk on my own," Riven told them firmly, untangling him self from them. However once he was free his legs buckled and he would have fallen if Musa hadn't caught him. He was rather amazed to discover that intoxicating smell was coming from her.

"Sure you can," she smirked at him. "You okay?"

Riven suddenly became aware of how close his face actually was to her breasts, and he quickly forced himself to stand on his own. He was lucky it was so dark otherwise Musa would have clearly seen how red he flushed, but the dark managed to mask it. He voice however, was slightly uneven when he spoke. "I'm fine."

The Minotaur lay in an unconscious heap in the Great Hall. This had been the first place the boys had helped clean, and now it was an absolute mess and covered with a thin layer of dust.

"Where'd this thing come from?" Flora asked, nervously eyeing the beast.

"The creature preserve?" Riven shrugged, his mind still groggy.

"Except that the creature persevere doesn't have any Minotaurs," Bloom pointed out. They were still struggling to come up with an explanation when a baby duck pull itself out from under the still form of the Minotaur.

"Look!" Stella pointed.

"A duck," Musa confirmed just in case there was someone there who failed that part in school about identifying barnyard animals.

'They have a strange obsession with ducks,' Sky thought to himself, but then Bloom reminded them all about why ducks were important and things started to make a bit more sense.

"We all know who's being stalked by a duck; Icy," Bloom said.

"That must mean the senior witches are here," Tecna assumed.

"Yeah, they must be trying to get the Ring of Solaria again, but I know just the way to trap them," Bloom told them all, and moved off to put her plan into action. "Follow me you guys."

"What's your plan, Bloom?" Brandon asked, but he would probably follow after her even if she didn't tell him.

"We're going to ambush them," Bloom explained. "When they enter the room, we'll hit the lights, jump out and surround them. Then we'll be able to find out what those witches want."

"That's not a bad idea," Brandon mused. There were a few flaws such as what were they going to do if the witches attacked them since none of them had any magic, but they had managed to defeat a Minotaur on their own. "Riven, you'll be in charge of the lights."

"Why Riven?" Stella demanded. "I am the Princess of the Sun and the Moon after all. My dazzling smile lights up the whole world so it's only fitting that I get to light up the ambush."

"That may be true, but our man Riven can see and move in the dark like a cat," Sky explained to her gently. "There's no way those witches will be able to hear him sneaking around behind them."

Stella's shot a challenging look Riven's way. "Well, we'll see about that, now won't we?"

"Yes, we will," Riven hissed back, and Sky concluded that it would be easier to try and get a cat to befriend a dog then those two.

"But where will we ambush them?" Timmy asked Bloom. "I mean, if they're looking for the Ring of Solaria won't they go to your dorm which is back that way?"

"They can go to our dorm all they want. They're not going to find my ring there," Stella said firmly, holding her hand up as proof. There upon one of her slim fingers was the Ring of Solaria.

"Exactly," Bloom agreed as they neared a rather important looking section of the school. The boys suddenly realized that they were making a bee line towards the Headmistress's office. "When they can't find the ring, they're bound to go to Faragonda's office to use the All Seeing Crystal Ball of Alfea."

"If they haven't already," Flora pointed out as the group made their way into the office. Everything was still neat and tidy, a clear indication that no witches or indeed anyone else had been in here all night.

"Doesn't look like they have," Brandon said, looking around the room.

Bloom grinned confidently. "They will, and when they do we'll ambush them."

"I think they're coming now," Riven warned them, his trained ears detecting someone approaching the room. Curiously, he couldn't hear the sound of footsteps which made him doubt his hearing. He tried to listen further, but Flora started wussing out and ruined his concentration.

"Oh, I don't know," the Flower Fairy whimpered.

"It'll be fine," Musa assured her.

"Everyone hide!" Bloom ordered in a hushed voice. Faragonda's office didn't offer too many hiding places, so a few people had to double up on hiding stops, which Sky and Timmy used to their full advantage. Sky was willing to wait another hour for these witches to show up as he pressed himself up against Stella in the small space in between the wall and the edge of one of the book cases.

"This is cozy," Stella whispered to him, her face inches from his own. Sky could feel his pulse racing at a million miles an hour and his breathing had been reduced to ragged little pants.

"Not bad, huh?" he whispered back, his mind gone hazy from her perfume.

"Yeah I kinda like it," Stella said cheekily, and he could see her eyes sparkling merrily through the darkness. Almost unconsciously, Sky started to drop his face down to met hers.

"Me too," he panted, feeling her soft breath on his lips before he quickly closed the gap between the two.

In all his daydream, in all his fantasies, Sky found that _nothing _compared to the real thing. Every inch of his flesh came alive and shuttered in delight as he wrapped his arms around her as completely as the small space would allow him. Her lips, like her eyes, were as sweet as honey, and he felt as though his legs were going to fold underneath him as his mind started to soar. Gently, he brushed his tongue over her bottom lip and she obeyed his silent command and parted her lips.

It was that moment that the doors to Faragonda's office opened and three shadowed figures entered the room. Surprised by the sudden arrival, Stella broke the kiss just when it had started to heat up and Sky had instantly hated everything about these witches for interrupting what he had been dreaming about ever since freshmen year. But his body was still trembling slightly in the aftermath of what had just happened.

Hidden behind the curtain, Timmy and Tecna were nowhere near as heated as Sky and Stella were, but they did get a thrill at how close there were and how their bare skin would brush against one another.

As one of the witches was going on about some crystal she had, Riven moved towards the lights using a technique know as Ghost Stepping (2). He had picked this skill up after years of thievery, and it involved a certain way of rolling the foot so the weight of the person was put down gradually. This technique usually worked best at a painfully slow speed, but years of practice had taught Riven how to do it at a normal walking pace. He carefully avoided letting his legs brush together since it was the rustle of clothing that usually gave a person away and no one in the room, not even Musa with her sonar ears, could hear him move.

"That means the Dragon Fire is in this room," one of the witches confirmed. "But I don't see a thing. Guess we'll just have to trash the place and do a thorough search cause I'm not – "

"You're not trashing anything!" Bloom told her firmly, jumping up from her hiding place and landing cross legged onto the desk. "Hit the lights Riven!"

Riven did as he was told, and chuckled maliciously to himself as he turned to face the Cloud Tower seniors that they had just surround. His laughed died on his lips as he and the other boys got their first look at the dreaded Trix Sisters.

All were unnerving stunning, though the one they all assumed was Stormy was sporting a somewhat ridiculous looking perm. The one in the center must be the infamous witch Icy. Her pale skin was juxtaposed by her dark blue clothes and her ice blue eyes set a chill into the blood of each of them as she glanced at them in turn. Her hair was an unnatural sliver white and was pulled back into the highest pony tail any of the boys had ever seen.

Stormy flanked one side of the Ice Queen, her eyes sizzling in irritation. Dressed in crimson pink, the witch had a pretty face that was lost in her outrageous hair style but the boys knew by reputation that she was not someone to mock. Already, her fingers were ridged like claws and they could clearly see bolts of electricity jumping from finger to finger.

But it was the third one that rattled Riven to the core. Clad in tight fitting purple attire, the witches long, golden brown hair fell behind her like a cape. Her skin was pale and flawless, and seemed to radiate some kind of wicked delight. And she stared openly at Riven with smoldering golden eyes. Not even Stella and Sky could compete with the look she directed at Riven, and the way she looked him over head to toe made him feel rather exposed though it caused a ghost of a smile tug at her lips. There was no denying that this witch was Darcy.

"You are so surrounded," Stella told the witches smugly, but Sky had a feeling that the smile on her face wasn't because Bloom's plan had worked. Brandon had seemed to sense something was different, and shot his prince a question look. Sky could only grin back.

"What are you doing here?" Icy demanded.

"No, what are you doing here?" Bloom shot back.

"What are all of you doing here?" a new voice asked, making them all jump. Mrs. Faragonda entered the room her lavender eyes questioning. "Don't bother hiding Bloom. I see everything."

"I wasn't hiding," Bloom covered, climbing back off the desk instead of dropping behind it like she had planned. "I was looking for something."

"Would somebody please explain to me why I happen to find students from not just Alfea but Red Fountain and Cloud Tower in my office? And why is half my school reduced to rubble? Finally, I'm a bit surprised about the fact that there is an unconscious Minotaur lying in the Great Hall. Can anyone explain that to me?"

"The witches let that thing loose in here," Musa answered, glaring heatedly at the Trix. "That creature trashed the school that we had just finished cleaning, so we called the boys here to help contain it. We just must have just ambushed them in here when you showed up, Mrs. F."

"She's almost as good a liar as you," Brandon whispered under his breath to Riven so the headmistress couldn't hear. Riven's eyes narrowed in what Brandon clearly recognized as a challenge.

"No she isn't."

"Whatever, man."

* * *

"So ah, thanks for everything Brandon," Bloom thanked him as he got himself comfortable on his bike. They had already contained the Minotaur within a transport cell and they were planning to take it back to Red Fountain so the teachers could figure out what to do with it. "Sorry you had to fight a Minotaur."

"Never a dull moment with you," Brandon grinned at her before laughing. She was amazing. Even though it may eventually bite him on the ass, Brandon decided he wasn't going to stop himself from getting to know her further. There was nothing wrong with them being friends.

Sky hadn't been able to take his eyes off Stella for longer than a second since that kiss in Faragonda's office. He really wanted a try at a repeat of it, but she had a reputation she had to think of, so he settled for a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Bye."

"See ya," Stella beamed at him, but there was something in her eyes that hinted that she wanted an encore of what happened before as well. Her honey eyes gazed intensely into his.

"Call me if you ever need any more heroic and bravery," Sky told her, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. He really didn't want to go back to Red Fountain right now. He'd be happy to stay here and help the girls clean up the Minotaurs mess.

"Defiantly," Stella nodded, and he couldn't resist kissing her hand again. "Don't be afraid to call me either."

"I won't," Sky promised, turning her hand over and kissing the palm of her hand like a lover would. He then had to kiss the inside of her wrist where he got a good whiff of her perfume. He probably would have continued all the way up her arm if the roar of the other boys engines didn't drag him back to reality. Giving the Princess one last smile, Sky pulled his helmet on and headed off back to his school with the caged Minotaur following them.

* * *

"Dude, would you get that look off your face? I'm trying to eat," Riven spat at Sky during lunch the following day. He only had a few minutes to bolt down his food before he was due back in the kitchen and Sky's lovey dovey face was making him nauseous.

"I can't," Sky told him, a dreamy expression on his face. Ever since it happened, Sky had replayed the kiss he had with Stella over and over again in fine detail within his mind, and he still wasn't sick of it yet.

"It's disgusting."

"Leave him alone," Brandon told Riven gently, looking at the lovesick prince in amusement. Sky was a text book example of someone who was absolutely, one hundred and ten percent, hopelessly smitten.

"Hello boys," a soft voice greeted the group of sophomores, and the boys looked up from their lunch to discover Professor Saladin standing over their table. "There's no need to get up. I just came over to inform you of a glowing letter of gratitude I received from Mrs. Faragonda this morning. Apparently she was very impressed with how quickly you came to the aid of her powerless students. This praise will of course have to go into your file, and I believe some upgrades in your equipment as a reward is fitting. You're ship will be reprogrammed with state of the art technology which I'm sure you'll all enjoy."

"Thank you, sir," the boys answered.

"And Riven, we've decided to downgrade some of your punishments. You will be removed from cleaning duty and you'll only be needed to help Jacob for dinner. You won't be excused from the Q-Store, however."

"Of course. Thank you sir," Riven said, delighted with the fact that he could sleep in a bit longer.

"You're welcome. Now please, go back to your lunch."

"You guys may have been right," Riven admitted as the headmaster walked off. "Helping the girls may have been better then that stupid concert."

"It definitely was," Sky agreed, his face dreamy.

* * *

_(1) As some of you may have guessed, I am not the worlds most fantastic speller, so when I get to a work I can't find the spelling of I just fall back on the trick that got my through school; I spell it the way it sounds and hope people get my drift. _

_(2) I learnt how to Ghost Step while I was in the army cadets and it really does work but soooo slow!_

_Next up 'The Day of the Rose' where the shit hits the fan. TCB._


	8. The Day of the Rose

_Okay, this is the chapter where Riven's character takes a turn for the worse (as you may have already guessed) and it alters the rest of the year for the other guys too. I also extended the day to show a bit of the after party that we never got to see. So, let's get into it.

* * *

_

**Chapter Eight – Day of the Rose**

"Well, I'm off!" Timmy announced to the guys, zipping closed his duffle bag. "And I better hurry if I'm going to catch the shuttle bus to the space port. My mum will kill me if I miss my flight."

It was the Day of the Rose, so Timmy was off home to spend it with his family. Each year they'd have a big family reunion with all his Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents and cousins for a massive feast and everyone would do their best to drive everyone else crazy. Timmy had the entire flight home to look forward to a day full of his mother going to war in the kitchen against her sisters, his grandfather falling asleep in the middle of a sentence only to wake up and continue right where he left off and of course the only male cousin Timmy's age that had the intelligence of a turnip. (1)

"Have fun, Timmy," Sky told his friend.

"With my family? Yeah right," Timmy grinned, heading for the door. "See ya Brandon. Bye Riven."

"We'll see you some time tomorrow," Brandon waved goodbye, while Riven simply grunted from his place on his bed with Lady. The burgundy specialist was in a particularly sulky mood this morning, and so far the only one who dared to go near him was the dog.

"And then there were three," Sky noted when Timmy left.

"So what do you guys what to do till the race this afternoon?" Brandon asked. They had all registered for the Annual Race for the Rose, which was one of the reasons why he and Sky hadn't gone home today. Another reason was the big dance they had in Magix each year which he was hoping Bloom was going to.

"I say we get the girls to meet us in the city, check out the festival till the race starts then go to the dance with them tonight," Sky said, pulling out his race gear. He hadn't seen Stella since the night they helped the girls clean Alfea, and he was looking for any excuse to see her again. He knew she was staying at Alfea instead of going back to Solaria, so it was the perfect opportunity for him.

"That's a great idea, bro," Brandon agreed.

"I'll give Stella a text now," Sky said, pulling out his phone and started typing at lightening fast speed. He needed to get to her before she made plans for the day.

"What do you reckon, Riven?"

"Whatever," Riven grunted.

That was another reason why Sky and Brandon didn't want to go back to Eraklyon; they didn't want to leave Riven here on his own. When the boys were in their freshmen year, Riven had gotten unbelievably impossible about this time of year and during a screaming match with Sky, Riven had let slip that his family had deserted him and he had spent most of his childhood on the streets. And even though they knew Riven was going to be extremely difficult today, they knew that if they weren't here he'd probably find some way to pass the time with, most probably Lex, which would no doubt be something of an unsavory nature.

"Stella's going to met us there with Bloom," Sky said when he got a reply off the Princess. "Musa stayed at Alfea too, but she's going to spend the day alone because of something to do with her mum."

"Alright," Brandon nodded, gathering up his racing gear. The others did the same, except Sky had about a million times the enthusiasm as Riven. "Let's go!"

After the boys had dropped off their racing gear along with their bikes at the holding bay of the race, the boys made their way through the festival with both Sky and Brandon keeping an eye out for the girls. Riven's bad mood continued, flipping between deep depression and furious rage, and no matter what the others did, they couldn't get him to lighten up.

"Look at this place!" Sky exclaimed, glancing at the crowd around him. All the people in Magix were pretty much there, and the organizers had gone all out this year. There were street performers, live bands and stalls. "This festival gets bigger and bigger every year!"

"No, actually it just gets lamer and lamer every year," Riven corrected moodily.

"Riven you are the reigning king of negativity," Brandon teased, trying to make a joke and get Riven to stop being so pessimistic. The unimpressed look Riven shot at him indicated that it wasn't going to work, and the look darkened further when the three boys attention was pulled towards the sky.

A large space ship flew overhead, flying much too long then was normally allowed in this section of the city. However, a hatch at the bottom of the ship opened, spilling countless roses onto the crowd below.

Sky reached out and grabbed a falling rose as he detected a certain fragrance of perfume he had come to recognize, and he didn't even need to look to see who was behind him. Causally, Sky turned and offered the flower to the blonde princess standing behind him. "A rose for you, princess."

"Thanks," Stella accepted the rose, but she moved closer to Sky indicating that she want more then just a flower off him. Sky wanted the same, but he figured best not to rush things. He didn't want to come on too strong too soon. He planned to wait till tonight at the dance for that. Plus, they were in company.

"Good to see you," he told her, his eyes promising her everything she wanted from him.

"You too," she gushed, and the look she gave him clearly stated that she planned to hold him to that promise.

Brandon couldn't think of any words that expressed how pleased he was to see Bloom with Stella, so he simply beamed at her. She also seemed a lost for words as well, so she simply returned the smile.

Riven felt his lips start to pull themselves into a sneer of disgust. Out of all the lame holidays he was forced to endure with his friends trying to stuff the holiday spirit down his throat, this was the worst. As if he would ever want to spend the day give thanks to his mother. He'd rather spit in her face, but he had no idea where she was. That was the whole problem. He didn't even know if she was still alive, not that he'd care.

And now he was forced to play fifth wheel to these love sick fools. _Argh!_ It was enough to make him want to hurl. If he didn't have to race this afternoon he would have gone in search of a good stiff drink to try and block it all out. Fighting back the urge to be sick, Riven looked for a way to break up to love fest that was going on in front of him.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

The group watched the racers for a bit, but when one rider had distressed the girls when he crashed Sky and Brandon decided it would be best if they moved onto seeing the rest of the festival. The girls seemed to welcome the distraction from the fact that the boys were competing in such a dangerous sport, but even with the swirling colours of the festival the race never seemed far from the girls thoughts.

"You like have to dance with me tonight," Stella reminded Sky at one point, placing her delicate hands on his chest. "So don't like break any limbs, okay?"

"Well, I'll try. Thing is, if I want to show this guy what's up I'm gonna have to go all out," Sky told her, gesturing towards Riven. The moody teen had been throwing out challenges left, right and center, and his friends knew him well enough to know he planned to up hold them.

"The only thing that's up is you going down," Riven snarled, his eyes burning.

"I'll be rooting for you Brandon," Bloom said sweetly, and Riven had to grit his teeth to avoid letting out a growl. He was not in the mood to be surrounded by such sickening things. He was reaching his braking point and he knew it.

"So who's going to be rooting for you, Riven?" Sky asked, making Riven's patience start to crack. "Bloom rooting for Brandon, Stella's rooting for me, so where's you're cheer leader?"

"I don't need one, dude. Unlike you," Riven hissed.

"Relax Riven," Brandon said. What was with him today? Riven was wound so tight that Brandon knew he was going to snap soon and no one wanted to be around when that storm hit. Riven's violet eyes blazed madly as he went on another rant that made little sense. With a groan, Brandon turned his back on the raging teen. "This is dumb."

Rivens eyes narrowed dangerously. _No one_ turned the back on him and brushed him aside so easily, especially not on a day like today. And Riven knew the exact way to attack him, so he casually lied through his teeth. "In fact, a certain someone's been giving me the eye. Isn't that right Bloom?"

"What?" the red haired fairy exclaimed, and Riven smirked slight. Not only would he annoy Brandon, but he'd get his little fairy upset as well. However, Blooms blue eyes indicated that she wasn't will to just roll over and burst into tears at his words. "The only eye I'd give you is _I_ don't think so."

"Right," Riven laughed. This girl had spirit. It had been a long time since he had someone new to fight with.

"What is with you? And excuse me, I think I know who I like and trust me, I don't go for the whole jerk thing. I still can't figure out why Musa has a crush on you," Bloom snapped, and Riven flinched slightly, but he didn't have time to reel in the fact that Musa liked him. He was having far too much fun warring with the fairy in front of him. "You're totally conceded, totally cocky, totally boring waste of good oxygen. I'm sorry, but guys like you give guys a bad name, Riven!"

The others seemed a bit uncomfortable at the harsh exchange, but Riven was loving it. However, he hadn't dragged her into this just to see her get angry. She could serve another purpose. With a sly smirk, Riven leaned forward and cupped her by the chin. "You are really cute when you're angry, you know that? I dig girls who pay hard to get."

Brandon's eyes narrowed angrily, and Riven got the thrill he was looking for. However, he suddenly realized he may have pushed Bloom a little too far in the attempt to get to that place.

"Don't you touch me!" she spat, hitting Riven away from her. "You know what; I think you just need to cool down Riven!"

Before Riven could offer her some kind of spiteful comment, he felt cold water hit his head and run down his face. The water sunk through his hair and hit his scalp, making him flinch from the cold. His clothes became drenched as the water continued to run down his body, making him physically uncomfortable as well as humiliated.

"Looks like Riven wet his pants!" Sky laughed along with Stella as Bloom magically returned the pot to its original location, but that laughed faded slightly when he saw the way Riven's eyes burned. Riven never showed how he was feeling very often, but his guard sometimes slipped and exposed a faction of the whirlpool that was his emotions, especially with his eyes. Sky didn't know just how vast Riven's emotions were, but there was no deny that at the moment that his entire body burned with raw rage.

And Bloom wasn't helping. She had seen the mirth in Rivens face as they were arguing, so she figured he would just laugh it right off. This is why she wasn't aware of the danger as she continued to push him. "Still think I'm cute when I'm angry?"

"I am so going to make you pay for that Bloom," Riven promised her with a throaty growl, his eyes flashing.

Bloom looked a bit uneasy as he held her in his burning glare. "We were just kidding weren't we? Riven. I thought – "

"Get away!" Riven snarled, blocking her out stretched hand.

"Come on, Riven," Brandon tried to calm his friend with a soothing hand. "She – "

"Hands off Brandon!" Riven growled. "I'm getting out of here."

"Please, he had it coming," Stella _scoff_ed as Riven ran off.

"Yeah," Sky agreed. "But he's always a mess this time of year."

"I thought we were joking around," Bloom said to Brandon, her eyes deeply hurt. "I mean, he . . . I . . . we . . . We weren't being serious, were we? It was a joke. I didn't meant for it to . . . "

"Don't worry Bloom," Brandon told her. "It's not you, it's him. He's just got a lot on his mind at the moment. It's . . . complicated."

"What do you mean?"

Brandon hesitated. Riven would kill him for talking about this kind of thing, but Bloom looked really upset. "Riven's an orphan, so this day must have always been a bit hard for him to deal with."

"I had no idea," Bloom gasped.

"There's no way you could have. He really doesn't like to talk about it so it's best you act like you don't know," Brandon warned. Not only would it save Riven to emotion drama of having to dragged through all that, but it would be like Brandon signing his own death warrant if Riven know he had told Bloom that.

"Yeah, for sure," Bloom nodded, but her smile returned as she looked up at him. "Now let's go have some fun before your race starts."

* * *

"Where did Bloom go?" Brandon asked Stella as he finished checking over his bike. He and Sky had already gotten changed into their race gear and just needed to move their bikes over to the starting line.

"I don't know. She was with me for a bit but then she went off to watch one of the street performers and I haven't seen her since," Stella admitted, fiddling with Sky's uniform. She seemed to be brushing dust off his clothes, and he appeared to have a lot of dust on his behind.

"Well howdy stranger," Sky greeted as Riven rejoined them. There friend had also gotten changed into his race gear, and one glance at his body language informed them that he had slipped into a colder, depressive state instead of the rage he had been in when he had run off. His shoulders were hunched, his eyes were down and his face was stony. "Where you been?"

"Nowhere," Riven shrugged, grabbing his bike.

"Okay, well, we better get going if we're going to make this race," Brandon told the group and the three boys along with Stella started to head over to the starting line.

"Ladies and gentlemen and creature from all realms, welcome to the Annual Race for the Rose. Will last years champion go home with his third Rose Trophy? Or have last years losers learned a thing or two?" the MC announced over the loud speaker.

"So are you ready?" Sky asked as they pushed their bikes along the road.

"I was hoping Bloom would watch me," Brandon admitted, glancing over his shoulder to see if he could see her. He had really valued the way she had pointedly stated that she would be cheering for him, and he was a little disappointed that she hadn't shown up yet. Maybe he was thinking that there was more going on between them than actually was?

He was still gloomily pondering that thought when he heard a voice calling them out to them from behind. Turning, Brandon felt him heart jump as she run her way through the crowd.

"Guys! Wait up!"

"Bloom! Where did you run off to?" Stella asked. "Tell me you spotted an amazing sale."

"Um, nothing you'd like. Hang on a sec," Bloom told her, side stepping around her friend to get to the boys. Brandon felt his stomach swell slightly as she made her way over to them. Almost expecting a good luck kiss, Brandon felt a bitter stab of jealous as she moved right by him. "Riven!"

'Stop being ridiculous,' Brandon thought to himself. 'She's probably just trying to fix what happened earlier. He's just her friend. And so am I for that matter.'

"Be safe, okay?" Stella told Sky as he double checked everything for the race. "I'll be waiting for you at the finish line."

"With my winners' trophy, I hope," Sky grinned. Stella smiled at him cheekily, chewing on her lower lip as if trying to decide on something. Finally, she seemed to reach a decision and leaned over to peck him on the cheek.

"Good luck," she said, giving him a coy look before heading off to take her place in the crowd.

"Thanks," Sky beamed, climbing on bike. Hearing a pained groan coming from along side him, Sky turned to look at Riven, who had rolled his head back as if troubled. "Something the matter, bro?"

"She's wished me luck," Riven told him, dropping his head forward in a shameful pose. Sky could see the pain in his face that instantly informed Sky that Riven was forced to admit he was wrong. "I owe Bloom an apology, don't it?"

"Yeah, I'd agree with that."

Riven groaned again, and rubbed his forehead as if trying to release some tension. "How do you guys even stand being around me half the time? I'm such an ass."

"Yeah, but you have your moments."

"I make it right after the race is over, I swear," Riven told him earnestly.

"I believe you, man," Sky grinned, grasping Rivens extended hand as if they were arm wrestling. This kind of contact was pretty much Rivens version of a hug, and all the boys knew how rare they were.

"After I beat your ass, of course."

"Of course."

* * *

"Hey Brandon!" Brandon heard Bloom call from the side line. Lifting the shield of his helmet to look at her, Brandon couldn't hide his smile. "Be careful, and kick some butt."

"See you at the finish line," he promised her with a wave, dropped the face shield down.

"All racers to the starting position!" the MC announced and the boys all dropping into their racing state of mind. "Let the starting countdown begin. Rev those power drives!"

In an explosion of sound, the race started and the competitors bolted forward. One person banged into Sky's legs in the initial jostle for position, losing him the chance to get an early lead. Both Riven and Brandon got into the lead group, but Sky was forced further back in the race.

"If I don't get up there Riven'll never let me live it down," Sky hissed to himself, trying to weave through the other riders to try and move up a bit further in the pack. A few riders behind him crashed their bikes, removing them from the race.

Finally, Sky managed to get around the others and move up to just behind the leaders and he was closely followed by one of the other riders. Sky could see him out of the corner of his eye, and it took Sky a few glances before he realized something wasn't right about this guy.

First of all, this guy and long, brownish gold hair that flew behind him in the wind like the cape the boys usually wore with their uniform. He didn't remember ever seeing anyone with that kind of hair at the starting line. And secondly and probably most alarmingly was the fact that this guy had _breast!_ This race was meant to be only for boys.

The rider looked over at Sky for a second, and Sky thought it saw her flick her fingers of one of her hands in his direction before speeding off in front of him.

Sky's bike suddenly cut out and his engine went cold. They flickered back on and off and slowed down dramatically. Ahead of him, the front of the race pulled away.

"Whoa! Somebody call security! We've got and over enthusiastic fan of the track!" the MC announced. "And as for the race it looks like we've got a neck and neck for the riders from Red Fountain."

"A fan?" Sky repeated, looking up at behind him. A second later, a fairy that looked surprisingly familiar flew over head. "That can't be right."

* * *

At the front of the race, it was between Brandon and Riven. There was a third rider close on their tails, but the rest of the race had fallen back with a surprising amount of crashes and engine failure. And Brandon's bike suddenly started to flicker between full power and stalling completely.

'This isn't right' Brandon thought to himself, slowing his bike down. He wasn't going to risk his bike and possible his safety for some race. Riven jumped into the lead.

"So long, Brandon!" he said, speeding off. He was followed at some distance by the third rider.

Brandon came to a stop and was just trying to figure out what was going on with his bike when he saw a flash of light blue and fiery red flying towards him. "Bloom?"

Expecting her to stop and make sure he was alright, Brandon was a bit disappointed and confused as she flew straight by after the other racers. "Stay there!"

"What's going on?" Brandon asked as Sky drove over to him at a much slower pace then he had been racing before. He wasn't willing to push he bike either.

"No idea, dude, but there's a chick up there."

"I know, it's Bloom."

"I mean as well as Bloom. One of the racers is a girl."

"What?"

"Yeah, and I think she's jinxing the racers."

"Oh no! Riven's still up there."

"Brandon!" Sky suddenly shouted, pointing to one of the large screens that had been set up to cover the race as well as some of the festival highlights. And it was currently showing Riven at the front of the race clutching his helmet with his bike swerving dangerously underneath him.

"Let's go!" Brandon ordered, and Sky didn't need to be told twice. Kicking their engines over, the two boys raced as fast as their unresponsive bikes would let them towards the front of the race and their threaten friend.

"C'mon! C'mon!" Sky hissed, desperate to get to the front of the race. But this wasn't about winning any more. His friends' life could be in danger.

"Sky!" Brandon exclaimed in a panicked voice. A gasp from the crowd had forced him to glance at the big screen, and he felt his blood freeze as he watched Riven's bike lose control and send its rider hurling into the air. With the speed Riven was traveling at added to the force of the crash, the impact could be enough to kill him. "Oh no."

Both boys and Bloom raced toward the falling teen to try and catch him in time, but it was the rider that had been trailing him the got there first. Riven landed on the back of the riders bike and the impact was enough to knock him unconscious but at least he didn't land headfirst on the pavement. The rider had come to a stop as both Brandon and Sky pulled up to the commotion.

"Riven!" Sky called as they dismounted, but Riven didn't even respond to his name. The unknown rider removed Riven from the bike and lowered him gently to the ground. Sky couldn't be certain, but it kind of looked the rider was giving off a purple hazy that encased Riven's still form.

Brandon made his way over to Bloom. He had seen her trying to grab Riven as he rode so she could have done something that resulted in the crash. It would have been a total accident of course, be she could still be blamed for it. "What did you do?"

"I was trying to help," Bloom told him. "Brandon, it was the witches."

"The witches?"

"What's going on?" Stella asked, pushing her way through the crowd to meet her friends.

"I'm not sure," Sky confessed, looking at the unconscious Riven who was still being looked over by his rescuer. Hopefully everything was okay.

* * *

Riven's mind felt groggy and his chest was hurting with each breath, but slowly he began to come to. It was almost as if he was in that hazy stage between being asleep and being awake because he couldn't quite open his eyes yet, but he could faintly hear people talking around him though it was little more than whispers in the vaults of his mind.

_Heart as soft as a velvet glove, open your eyes and fall in love. _

In the fraction of a second, every muscle in Riven's body went tense. It shot through his body and it felt as if his blood had been transformed to painful fire. His heart felt like a fist was clenching it and his brain reel as if it was in a vice. And just as suddenly, it passed, and he slowly opened his eyes to see someone bending over him. "Who are you?You saved me."

His savor removed their helmet as if in slow motion and shook out their hair and Riven's entire world shifted as he suddenly found himself locked in that smoldering golden gaze. The rider was a girl with long brown hair that shone golden in the right light, and her features were darkened by her make up.

Again, Riven's body locked, and his blood turned to fire. He didn't know where it came from or even if it was good for him, but that look she gave him was enough to stir strange feeling in his stomach as well as other place.

And he liked it. "Whoa. You're beautiful."

The crowd around them dissolved as they realized there was no blood or gore, and the girl offered him her hand. Riven knew who she was by reputation, and he recognized her from when she had trashed Alfea, but he had never been in such a close vicinity to her that he could remember. He suddenly noticed that she smelt very inviting and her skin was very smooth as he accepted her hand and got to his feet.

The world spun as Riven stood up, and he placed his hand to his head. He must have hit his head somewhere in the fall after all because something didn't fell right. "I thought I was a goner."

"Good thing I caught you in time," the girl said to him in a deep voice that sent shivers down his spin, and again Riven couldn't tell if they were good or bad. "The name's Darcy."

Riven felt the slight smile tug at his lips as Darcy stared at him. She was hot, there was no denying that, but there was something rather unsettling about the way she watched him. She looked like some kind of dangerous predator waiting for an opportunity to pounce on its prey. Before Riven could decipher her look deeper, Bloom flew between them and pushed them both apart.

"Buzz off witch!" she spat.

"Hey. Chill out fairy. I saved him," Darcy reminded her coldly, shoving her back.

Brandon instantly leapt to Bloom's defense while Riven tried to shake the uneasy feeling in his mind. "Hey!"

"Yeah right you did!" Bloom snarled at Darcy, more than willing to fighter her own battles. "It was you and the other witches that caused the accident!"

"_She lies," _a voice hissed to Riven within his mind, and his blood started to stir in response to the witch's delicate manipulation. _"She's going to get away with it."_

"That's a lie. I saw you Bloom. You flew onto the track and did something to deactivate that bogus helmet you gave me so that your little Brandon could win," Riven accused, driven by the anxiety the voice feed him and his rising temper.

"Whoa!" Brandon gasped. That was pretty strong accusations on Riven's part, and although Brandon had seen Bloom grabbing at Riven's bike, he just could believe that she would do something that underhanded. It just wasn't like her. "Why don't you hear her out first?"

"_Of course he would defend her," _the voice continued to whisper to Riven. _"Who cares if tried to kill you. Just as long as he gets his piece of ass everything's fine."_

"I've heard enough," Riven spat, the voice highlighting his friends feeble loyalty. Viciously, he removed the helmet Bloom and given him and cast it savagely in her direction. "Take you're stupid gift back."

"I was tricked. You guys you have to believe me," Bloom begged. "They sent like a Timmy illusion or something to give me the helmet so I'd give it to him and – "

"A Timmy illusion?" Riven repeated. "Come on. Do you expect anyone to believe that nonsense?"

"It's true. I swear. Don't you guys believe me?"

"Of course we believe you," Brandon instantly told her, making Riven go blind in an unnatural fury. "You wouldn't lie to us Bloom."

"Oh, so you believe her and not me?" Riven repeated what the voice had whispered to him. How could he be so blind? His friends were only his friends up until some skirt came along.

Brandon sighed. It was going to take a lot to get Riven to calm down. "I didn't say that Riven, I just thought that – "

"You're all in on this, aren't you?"

"What?" Sky gasped. Riven was _never_ this paranoid. He knew his friend, and while he knew Riven could be an unreasonable ass, he also knew that he would never carry on like this. Something was seriously wrong. "Look man, we're just trying to figure this out."

"_They don't believe you . . . "_

"Forget it! I'm sick of you guys. I'm requesting a transfer to a different squad of specialists. I'm gone!"

Both Sky and Brandon froze at their friends announcement. Riven couldn't have hurt them more than if he used his fists and his saber. He couldn't just walk out on them like that. They were a team. They had fought alongside one another, bled alongside one another and served hours of detention together. He couldn't turn his back on all that. The four of them were like brothers, and just couldn't just walk away from family.

"Riven wait!" Darcy called after the retreating specialist. Before either of the boys could stop Riven leaving, she was by his side, her clawed hand on his back as if ushering him away from them. "I'm coming with you."

Sky felt an insane amount of hatred towards the witch as she smirked back that them. That smug smile confirmed what Bloom had been saying; the witches really did have a hand in everything that just happened, and Riven was oblivious to it all. They needed to talk to him.

Bloom had burst into tears at Riven's harsh words. Never in her life had seen been accused of something as horrible as that. She suddenly wished they were back on Earth where things were never complicated by spells and curses. "I didn't do it."

"Of course you didn't Bloom," Brandon tried to comfort her, but he was still reeling from the pain of Riven's desertion. "Those witches must want something with Riven."

He just wished he knew what it was so he could stop it.

"It's not just Riven they're after you know," Stella commented softly.

Bloom nodded while sniffing back tears. "Yeah. It's all of us."

* * *

"Darcy's got to be the master mind behind this whole thing," Brandon concluded later that night. He and Sky had taken the girls to the dance as planned, but Bloom was still upset about everything that had happened so she had Stella had returned to Alfea to go find Musa. The musical fairy hadn't made an appearance all day which was fortunate given her crush on Riven and how he and Darcy had been hanging off each other since the race.

"But how do we prove that?" Sky asked, watching the witch and the warrior from across the room. The pair had been inseparable all night and the distance between the two was far closer than it should be considering that they had only just spoken to each other for the first time that afternoon.

"I don't know," Brandon confessed.

"Well, I know something's not right with Riven. He never acts that way around girls he likes. He's more the treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen kinda guy. The way he's carrying on with Darcy far too . . . obvious for Riven. Darcy's done something to him."

"Dude, we've gotta save him. Who know what those – "

"He doesn't want to be saved," a cold voice said from behind them. The two boys jumped around to see Icy and Stormy standing behind them with wicked smiles on their faces. They seemed extremely pleased with themselves for some reason.

"And you can't blame us for basic instinct," Stormy continued off her sister.

"What do you mean?" Sky demanded eyeing the two seniors suspiciously.

"You losers are so blind," Icy laughed coldly. "Riven doesn't want to be saved because Darcy can offer him something you wonnabe's can't. Or maybe you do, I don't know. What happens at boarding school stays at boarding school, right?"

"You're not going to get away with this," Brandon hissed.

"I think we already have," Stormy smiled sweetly at them.

"We're going to stop you."

"I have complete confidence in Darcy's powers of persuasion, so fine. Game on," Icy grinned, looking over their shoulders. "But you're already lagging behind, boys."

Brandon and Sky jerked back around to see that the place where Darcy and Riven had been occupying was now empty.

* * *

"Cigarette?" Darcy offered Riven which he declined. They had moved outside to get a bit of privacy and so Darcy could smoke. "You ever had one of these before?"

"Yeah," Riven nodded. He had tried them a few times in the past, but he had never taken up the habit because he didn't want to jeopardize his health. What was the good of being able to fight if you were already killing yourself from the inside?

Riven breathed deep and folded his arms across his chest as Darcy lit up. After coming down from that blazing wrath, Riven had felt uneasy. He wasn't angry anymore, but he wasn't willing to go back to the others. He was too proud for that. But curiously, he didn't feel guilty for what he had said and done and he knew that he should be. He had thrown a helmet at Bloom for crying out loud, but he felt nothing over it. He wasn't proud or pleased with what he had done, but he didn't feel any remorse over it either.

He just felt numb.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Darcy told him as if reading his thoughts. She looked extremely mysterious and somewhat sinister in the way she leaned against the railing that was hidden in the shadows, her pale skin juxtaposing her dark make-up and her golden eyes glowing like the end of her cigarette. Everything was dark, and she blended in perfectly with it. "It's not your fault those losers decided to sell you out for a piece of ass."

"I know," Riven said softly. But he couldn't help but notice the irony that he had turned his back on his friends and suddenly found himself in the company of female of his own. How was he any different from the other guys?

"I've seen it so many times before," Darcy mused, taking a drag of her cigarette. "Peoples world gets turned upside down because of the ridiculous concept of love, and it's not always for the better. Every tale of love is filled with anguish, hate, pain and even death. Love is not such a gentle thing, Riven. Why is it that the greatest love stories ever told always end in tragedies? (2) Because love is an illusion. No one even wins and no one ever gets what they want because they are all reaching for an impossible ideal. It can never be achieved because it was never meant to.

"However, there are some out there that realize this fact and have come to take a more practical approach to this whole concept of love. You see Riven, love should be view like a business partnership. The joining of two parties to further one another professionally and help to stratify all their needs."

"That's a bit cold to be considered to be love," Riven noted. He wasn't completely unromantic.

"Things often are the exact opposite of what they appear to be," Darcy told him. "There's a saying 'fair is foul and foul is fair' (3). Things that are supposed to be fair, like love, have killed countless over the years while things that are supposed to be foul can be surprisingly different."

"Like witches?"

"And cigarettes," Darcy said, holding up her own. "Cancer sticks. They ruin your teeth, your lungs, your blood, they harm yourself, others and unborn babies. They kill even more people than love, yet they offer soothing comfort in a way love cannot. They're so wrong for us and yet so many go to Lady Nicotines embrace willingly. Perhaps wrong can be right, no?"

"Maybe," Riven nodded slightly as Darcy took another drag. "But I can't see – "

Riven was suddenly cut off by Darcy pressing her mouth to his. He would have normally been shocked by her forwardness but that was pushed to the back of his mind as she blew out the smoke she had inhaled and forced it down his throat.

Chocking, Riven pulled back, coughing and his eyes watering.

"You see, Riven, what's right and wrong can never be forced upon someone," Darcy grinned, watching him suffer. "One must experience them all and decide based on those experiences. So its far enough to say that by avoiding what others deem as wrong may not be right since it may be right to you."

"So what? You're saying I'm some right kind of wrong?" Riven asked a bit sarcastically.

"We may never know," Darcy told him, lifting her cigarette to her lips again. Riven watched her calmly inhale that deadly smoke and then release it through her dark lips. Wordlessly, Riven reached over and took her cigarette off her and after a moment hesitation, he lifted it to his own lips.

Right hadn't worked for him so far. Perhaps he'd try wrong for a while.

* * *

_(1) Hey, all families have their quirks, so why should Timmy's be any different?_

_(2) Totally true. I bet if you ask anyone what's the greatest love story ever told they answer Romeo and Juliet. They don't even stop to think about the fact that the plats starts with Romeo in love with another woman and he only moves onto Juliet (whose only 14 by the way so as if she know what true love is) because Rosaline wont sleep with him. And they don't live happily ever after. No. Instead they kill each other. Is it a romantic play? Yes. Is it the greatest love story ever told? I don't think so. I like it when the romantic heroes live. _

_(3) That line's from Macbeth and I think it fits Darcy very much_


	9. Spelled

**

* * *

Chapter Nine – Spelled**

"How did this happen?" Timmy demanded two days after the Day of the Rose. He had returned to Red Fountain to discover that Riven had moved out and he was now rooming with Bourne and Kane. He was ignoring any attempts his former friends made to speak with him and he had completely ripped into Timmy when he had tried to talk some sense into him. What Riven had said was hurtful, direct and Riven knew that they would fester within Timmy's mind, shattering confidence.

"I don't know," Sky admitted. "He was moody all day but he was promising to make things right once the race was over and then . . . _blagh!_"

"He's totally out of control," Brandon sighed, rubbing his forehead in frustration. He had no idea how to make this right. Riven was going to fight them every step of the way as normal but this time his rebellion could end him up in real trouble. Riven was the kind of person that reflected the people he hung out with. He basically had no limitations both physically and morally, so his boundaries tended to be set by others and if that someone had to ethics of Darcy . . .

Brandon didn't even want to think about how much a disaster that could turn out to be.

"Yeah, but what do we do now?" Sky asked. "Just sit by and be patient and hope he comes to his senses? I'm sorry but . . . I don't know if I can do that. I know how that sounds but he just knows how to push my buttons. I don't think I can stand it."

"He can be absolutely horrible when he wants to be," Brandon agreed. "And he knows how to get under our skin. This might be harder than we think."

"You guys aren't giving up already, are you?" Timmy asked, shocked at how easily those two could turn their back on someone they called their friend. Would it be the same if it was one of them in Riven's position?

"We're not giving up on him," Sky assured Timmy. "If he realizes his mistake we'll forgive him cause that's what friends do, but I'm not going to sit around and mother him. If he pushes me I'm gonna fight back, I promise you that."

"Oh that's great Sky. That's really helping," Timmy spat, running his hands through his hair. He's gone for two days and all hell breaks loose. He should have put his friends on a leash or gotten a babysitter while he was gone to try and keep them under control.

"Timmy, I didn't mean . . . It's just . . . I . . ." Sky stuttered.

"We're just not going to take any of his crap," Brandon explained. "As soon as he sees that we're not going to put up with his attitude he'll get tried with it and move on."

"You know that will never happen," Timmy pointed out to them. "He's going to enjoy seeing you getting angry more than anything."

"Where's Riven right now?" Sky asked.

"Dunno," Brandon shrugged. "Why?"

Sky sighed. "I don't know. I don't know what to do with any of this."

"I don't know how things could get any more messed up," Brandon sulked, collapsing back onto his bed. It was weird having his friends splinter like this. Even though they had been strangers in freshmen year – with the exception of Sky and Brandon of course – they had stuck together from the start. Red Fountain was the kind of place that demanded teamwork and the students tended the stalk the halls like packs of wolves looking for a straggler or a loner to hunt down. For Brandon, warring someone he cared for as dearly as a brother went against everything he considered to be normal.

And it didn't just stop at Red Fountain. Brandon knew that Bloom was really upset for causing everything that happened on the Day of the Rose and poor Musa must be hurting even though she was doing pretty good at hiding it. Brandon just didn't understand it. He was certain Riven was crushing Musa and then like that he flips over to Darcy. What the hell? Anyone can see that Musa was a million times better than Darcy. That witch was dangerous. What was Riven thinking?

'_Darcy can offer him something you wonnabe's can't,'_ Icy's voice lingered in his mind and then very thought of one of those witches made Brandon's blood boil. _'I have confidence in Darcy's powers of persuasion.'_

Brandon knew what the witch was hinting at, but he didn't think Riven would fall so easily under Darcy's control no matter what she was offering. Riven _needed _to be in complete control of his emotions and his life all the time, and Brandon knew he wouldn't let Darcy manipulate him just to satisfy desirer.

At least he didn't think so. He was still contemplating the thought when his phone went off. Not looking at the caller ID, he answered it and lifted it to his ear.

"Hello," he greeted glumly.

"Brandon? Are you okay?" Bloom asked him on the other end of the line, driving Riven out of Brandon's mind. Sitting up right, Brandon tried to improve his phone manner. He knew Bloom had been feeling a bit guilty about everything that had happened, and he didn't want to make her feel worse.

"Hey Bloom. I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired I guess. Lady woke me up last night and I had trouble getting back to sleep after that," Brandon lied. "You know how it is."

"Um, yeah. Sure."

"So, what's up?"

"Okay, can I ask a massive favor?"

"Sure Bloom. Go ahead. I'll be happy to help you in any way," Brandon told her, while silently wondering if offering to be on twenty-four hours massage call would be a bit to forward for her.

"Can you guys come over and give me and the girls a lift to Magix? If you're busy, it's fine. We'll find another way."

"There is no other way!" Brandon could hear Stella in the background. "We've missed the last bus!"

"It's fine," Brandon told Bloom, smiling slightly for the first time in a while. "We'll be over soon, okay?"

"Thanks Brandon. I owe you. See you soon."

"Bye."

"What's up?" Sky asked, but he was already getting ready to go.

"Warm up the ship, Timmy. We're going to Alfea."

* * *

Riven had no idea what he was doing.

The last few days had gone by in a blur for him and he had somehow found himself in a café downtown with the company of a girl that deep down he knew he couldn't stand. She was saying everything he liked but he was smart enough that he knew that she was just buttering him up.

But Darcy was very attractive, and every time she spoke it was as if he drifted into a trance.

"Riven, you are so cute. Babe," Darcy started before laughing coyly. "I can call you babe, can't I? Because I mean you are the hottest guy at Red Fountain."

Riven put down his drink and placed his head in the palm of his hand. The way Darcy looked, the way she spoke and the way her foot lightly brushed up his leg totally enthralled him, but a part of his mind was awake enough to make him doubtful of her words. However, his ego and his infatuation buried that doubt deep within him. "Oh? Tell me more?"

"You're sizzling," Darcy continued. "You've got brains and you're so full of potential. You're incredibly talented and your talents shouldn't be wasted. With me as your partner you can get the fame and recognition that you have always deserved."

"Go on."

"Well, there is no formal arrangement sweetie, all you have to agree that you'll be mine and then, just like that, you will belong to me," Darcy told him, her hand covering his.

Riven's mind suddenly awoke up at the contact. He knew he didn't like to be control, and this witch was defiantly trying to get him under her thumb. Jerking back, Riven went on the defensive "Hey, hold on a sec."

"Look at me," Darcy ordered, not willing to give up without a fight. When Riven failed to jump to her commanded, she reached over and took his hand in hers, entwining her fingers through his. "Look at me, Riven."

Riven had a strange sinking feeling and his mind became sluggish. Everything became distant, like he was lost in a fog. But there was a voice whispering to him and echoing through the vaults of his mind.

"_You know can't fight it . . . You might as well give in . . . I always get what I want eventually . . . I cannot be stopped . . . There's only one path for you now . . ."_

"You're mine," Darcy informed him, her dark magic infecting his mind.

"I belong to you, Darcy," Riven agreed, his voice distant. Darcy slipped her fingers free from him, and Riven suddenly broke free from his lethargic state of mind. Shaking himself, Riven glanced about him as Darcy returned to concluding her business-like relationship merger.

"Excellent. Now, I would not call myself a clingy girlfriend but I will be needing a reliable link to contact you," Darcy told him, flicking a lock of her hair over her shoulder.

"I already gave you my phone number."

"I said reliable," Darcy repeated. "I don't trust phones. Too many people can over hear conversation or come across text messages. I was put in a rather awkward position some time ago when one male friend of mine read a message I received from another. Since then I've tended to stick to more private means of communication."

"What?" Riven asked, not understanding what she was going on about. Utterly confused, Riven tilted his head to one side and looking at her with searching eyes. Darcy suddenly laughed.

"You look like a poor little puppy dog when you do that," she told him before composing herself. Leaning forward, she reached across the table and put both her hands to his temples. "I'm going to create a link between both our minds so when can speak any time we want without the risk of anyone over hearing us."

"A mind link?" Riven repeated, and then suddenly flinched as Darcy's magic suddenly washed over his mind, chilling him to the bone. Every inch of his skin crawled as he felt her will seep into his mind, but that discomfort and cold suddenly vanished as Darcy finished establishing the link.

"All you need to do is place your fingers to your temples and picture me in you mind. The link should pretty much open on its own from there," Darcy explain, slouching back in her chair. "And, just for fun, I think we could come up with some code names for each other. I'm personally fond of Stiletto for myself."

"Isn't code names a little childish?"

"Just for that I think I'm going to stick with Puppy Dog for you."

"What?"

"Oh come on. It's kinda cute, you know."

"I don't want cute."

"Too late," Darcy smirked. Riven got ready to rip into her for that, when he realized he wasn't really angry about the nick name she had given him. He knew he didn't like it and that he should be flaring up right now, but he was oddly numb, and that hindered the normal flood of curses that should be flowing out of him. Before Rive could trying and work this out, however, a Cloud Tower witch suddenly burst into the center of the café from outside.

"Hey! Icy's gonna kick fairy booty! She's has a little Alfea baby. Let's go!"

In a loud frenzy of scraping chairs, the Hex Café was emptied in the space of a few seconds but Riven and Darcy made no effort to move. He was rather confused and Darcy seemed slightly irritated.

"Honestly," Darcy _huff_ed. "You can't take my sisters anywhere."

"You don't approve of attack Alfea pixies?" Riven questioned.

"Approve? Please, I think it should be a professional sport. But I prefer to do it after I finish my drink. Come on. We better go join the fun," Darcy sighed, pushing away her half finished drink and getting to her feet. But then she paused when she saw the only witch that was left in the café, sitting alone at a table. "Or we can have our own fun here. Hey Mirta!"

"Huh?" the young witch asked, looking up from her hands. She was a little red haired witch with freckles and while she wore the usual odd attire of witches, it didn't look as sheik and stylish as the Trix sisters.

"Aren't you going to help us make some pixies cry, Mirta?" Darcy inquired, walking over to Mitra's table. Hesitantly, Riven followed.

"I . . . um . . ." Mirta stuttered, clearly terrified by the dreaded senior witch.

"Don't tell me you're still promoting the whole witch/pixie peace treaty," Darcy snarled, using her magic to overturn Mirta's table. The freshman flinched and tried to sink further into her chair. "You call yourself a witch? You really are pathetic, Mirta. Peace is an illusion created by weak people because they can't fight. You're such a loser. Don't you agree, Puppy Dog?"

Riven tensed slightly as Darcy's burning golden eyes turned to lock on him. Unfortunately, Riven wasn't sure if he had an answer for her. Although Riven had gotten into a fair few fights during his time at Red Fountain, he never considered himself to be a bully. He didn't purposely seek out people to torment them, he just smashed them if they happened to cross his path, but that didn't make him a bully. He was more an emotionally crippled narcissist who had violent tendencies than anything else.

But then that voice echoed through his mind, forcing him to become the cold, harassing intimidator Darcy wanted him to be.

"_Don't tell me you've gone soft . . ?"_

Leaning forward, Riven cupped Mirta's chin with one hand while grinned at her with a malicious smile. He would see the witch's eyes widen in fear as he put his face up right in hers.

"I dunno. Some guys like girls that let everyone walk all over them," he said in a flirtatious tone. Sometimes mockery was even more damaging than spiteful words, and this was defiantly one of those cases.

"Just leave me alone!" Mirta ordered, but her eyes were filling with tears as Magix's newest couple ganged up on her.

"But we're just getting started," Darcy informed her before she turned to address Riven. "I'll tell you what, Puppy Dog, why don't you go see if you can find my sisters and the fairy they're going to eliminate and I'll meet up with you guys as soon as I'm finished here?"

"Whatever you want, babe," Riven grinned, heading for the door. Once he was out of the café, a harsh purple light flashed through the windows, followed by Mirta crying out in alarm and pain.

Once outside, Riven realized he really had no idea which way the witches had chased the fairy off too. The Hex Café, despite the fact that it had been packed a few seconds ago, was completely deserted and he really didn't think Darcy wanted to be interrupted. But it didn't look like there was a single student from Cloud Tower left in the vicinity.

"They went that way," an indifferent voice informed him. Clearly, he had over looked one witch who was getting ready to leave the café at a tranquil pace.

She didn't look up at him, but three things stood out to Riven about her. One; she had the smallest pair of gym sorts in the world on. They the same size as Stella's winx form if not shorter, though it lacked the bright colours and it gave the witch a more sporty look than anything else. Two; her hair was two different colours. The bulk of it was such a deep shade of violet that Riven almost mistook as black and it fell freely just past her shoulder blades, but her fringe had been dyed burgundy purple and swept across her face. And three; she_ really_ did have the _smallest_ pair of gym sorts in the world on.

Riven twisted his neck towards the direction she was pointing at, but when turned back to address the witch, she was no where to be seen.

Using the many back routs Riven had come to memorize during his time in Magix, Riven headed off in the direction the witch had pointed him and soon found signs that she hadn't been lying to him. The scorch marks in the footpath was a safe bet.

"They haven't been here yet," Riven noted aloud to himself as he stepped into a more crowded area of the street. He must have jumped ahead of the witches as he slipped through the backstreets, or he had gone off in the wrong direction at some point. Riven was just about considering going back and double checking his tracks when a fairy he recognized bolted around the corner and almost ran straight into him.

'Oh no,' he thought to himself. 'They're after Musa.'

The fairy's breathtaking blue eyes were wide as fearful, but that fear suddenly changed to hope as she saw who was standing in front of her. In a breathless voice, Musa begged him, "Riven, You have to help me."

For half a second, Riven was tempted to overlook her connection to Bloom and the others and do as she pleaded. He was still a hero and she was still hot after all, but then he remembered everything Darcy was offering him and the way his friends had betrayed him, and a wicked smirk crossed his face.

"I don't think so," he told her. "I'm with Darcy now."

Riven could see the hurt in her eyes and his cruel dismissal. Bloom had told him that Musa had a crush on him and the fact that he was equally attracted to her made it clear that Riven needed to sabotage anything between them. He was not going to let his life get messed up by a woman again, and Darcy offered him a way out of that and more.

He didn't even feel guilty as Musa ran off, shouting at him in hurt voice, "You're a two faced playa!"

Riven dropped his smirk as she bolted passed him. He knew he should feel bad for so causally throwing her to the wolves, but he didn't. He didn't feel anything at all.

* * *

Brandon continued to watch the screen of the monitor they were using to track down the missing Musa. He and the other two boys had responded instantly to the girls call, and they had quickened their hasted when they realized that Musa had gone off on her own and that there was a high possibility of her running into the witches. Brandon suddenly wished Riven as with them so they would feel more unified just like they normally were, and also because Riven new every ally way and back street of Magix like that back of his hand.

"Can't you get this piece of junk to go any faster?" Stella demanded to Timmy as he flew through Magix. The rest of the Winx Club had warned the boys about the mood swing spell that had been put on Stella, but at them moment none of them could be sure if she was being snappy from the spell or out of anxiety for her missing friend. All the girls seemed extremely worried, and it made the boys more determined to find her.

But so far, they were coming up empty handed.

"This is ridiculous," Sky growled, pacing in front of the control panels. "Where could she be?"

"There she is!" Brandon suddenly exclaimed as a small dot appeared on the screen. But he suddenly gasped when he saw all the other little dots following her. "There's a big group of witches after her. Okay, let's step on it, Timmy."

"You got it," Timmy confirmed, swinging the squad ship around and trying to find a suitable place to land. "We should intercept her here, but it's not open enough for us to land."

"She's cornered on the other side of that wall," Brandon reported, pointing to the wall what was right where they were trying to land. "Timmy, land this thing!"

"But I'll smash down the wall," Timmy protested.

"Those witches are going to do a lot worse if we don't," Sky pointed out.

"Right!" Timmy agreed. "Hold onto something, guys."

Slowly, Timmy began the decent down to the streets of Magix while trying to avoid hitting the buildings on either side. The nose of the ship, however, could not avoid hitting the wall, and the entire ship shock as metal scraped against rock. Fully conscious of what this might do to the people on the other side of that wall, Timmy let of a weak laser, breaking the wall apart and finally touched down on the ground. A second later, the Winx Club were at the door.

"Musa!" Bloom cried, jumping out into the dust filled ally way. Debris and dust covered the witches, and the wall was completely leveled. Frantically, the Winx Club and the boys search for a sign of the missing fairy.

"Guys!" Musa called, jumping about from behind one of the only bits of wall that had remained standing from the blast, and ran over to the group where she was instantly welcomed by the girls.

"Who invited you dorks?" Icy demanded, glaring at the group. "This event is RSVP only!"

"RSVP this!" Bloom spat, getting ready to throw an energy ball of magic at the witch that had threatened her friend. Brandon crossed his arms across his chest, silently swelling with pride because of Bloom's loyalty to her friends. But Blooms concentration and Brandans thoughts were shatter by a deep voice calling out to him.

"Brandon!"

With an almost animal like pace, Riven stalked through the witches to come face to face with his old friends, he cold eyes fixed on Brandon's blue ones. There was something different about him that was for sure. All the boys could sense it, but none of them could place it.

"You're hanging out with this crowd now?" Brandon spat, his blood chilling at the cold way Riven observed him.

"Yeah. This crowd is much more happening then you could ever hope to be," Riven answered, withdrawing his saber. "They're true friends."

Even Riven didn't believe his own words, but he did know his old squad and everything they valued and friendship was high on that list. The very thought of the Trix being more loyal than them was sure to get under their skin and strike a nerve, and by the looks of it, Riven knew he had predicted right.

"You've lost your mind and now you're going to lose this fight!" Brandon fumed. Driven by rage, Brandon unleashed blade and charged forward, ready to knock some sense into his 'friend'.

"Bring it, tough guy," Riven challenged, his saber meeting with Brandon's blue sword. Brandon glared at his classmate, who easily parried his attack, and Brandon almost shivered as Riven's cold eyes stared into him. Out of the corner of his eye, Brandon saw the other witches move in to attack the rest of his friends, but Prince Sky stopped them in their tracks by creating a barrier with his broad sword.

"You can't honestly think theses witches are your friends," Brandon hissed, blocking Riven's attack. The temperature dropped dramatically as Icy started to lose her temper.

"They're not without their issues," Riven admitted in an almost casual tone, glancing at Stormy for a second as she sent bolts of electricity into the air. "But I'm sick of your goody goody act."

"So you think siding with them is better? Don't be ridiculous," Brandon spat. Behind him, he felt the air shift slightly and he knew the fairies were transforming. It was the first time he had seen Tecna, Flora and Musa transform into the Winx, and it was always interesting to see how their magic would alter their outfits. All three suited their particular gift, and all complemented the girls greatly.

Turning his attention back to his adversary, Brandon noticed that the change in fairies forms didn't go past Riven either, and it effected the burgundy specialist in more ways then one. His offensive fighting stance instantly shifted to a defensive one and he seem almost confused of the position he was in.

"Huh? What?" Riven stammered, his eyes darting around him as if trying to understand why he was here. Brandon couldn't help but notice that his violet eyes would often drift back to Musa a lot.

"You alright?" Brandon asked, slowing his attack for a second. Briefly, their eyes locked, and Brandon knew something wasn't right. He knew Riven was lost and confused, and he was certain that the Trix had something behind it. But just as suddenly, Riven's eyes shifted back into that cold dead state and he raise his blade ready to attack.

"This is going to be fun," a cold voice stated above the two boys, and Darcy levitated into the battle. She had finish tormenting Mirta and had arrived just in time to reinstate her hold over Riven's mind before he broke free from her spell. She had sensed Riven had harbored an attraction to one of those loser pixies when she had first entered his mind, and she was not going to lose her prize to anyone, let alone someone from cutesy academy.

Attacking Musa without hesitation, Darcy quickly gained the upper hand over the fairy. Gods, these freshmen's really were pathetic this year. First she had smashed Mirta, and now she was going to pulverize this musical misfit. Multiplying herself, Darcy moved in to end this lame excuse for a fight.

"Now me, myself and I are going to finish you off," she grinned, surrounding Musa and gathering her magic. She was almost disappointed that it was going to be over so soon, but she really didn't feel like playing around. Not when there were four other fairies she could pick on plus their boy toys.

"I got you Musa!" Sky cried, swinging his broadsword through one of the multiplies. It didn't hurt her as badly as it would have if he had managed to hit the original, but it was enough to rattle her. Her magic failed and she collapsed to the ground.

Sky couldn't suppress the smug grin that spread across his face. He believed that Darcy was the one responsible for turning Riven against them, and felt good to get some revenge. That jubilation was crushed, however, when he heard someone sniggering behind him.

"No we got you," one of the Cloud Tower witches that had followed the Trix sneered, and the next thing Sky knew he was flying backward to scrape across the pavement before coming to a stop along side Musa.

"Prince Sky!" she exclaimed.

"I'm okay," he assured her, though he didn't feel it.

"Good assit. Thanks."

"Go get Stella," he told her, and the fairy flew off. "I'll just lay here for a bit. It's quiet peaceful really."

Up in the sky, he saw Flora get absolutely snapped by Stormy's Voltage Slap, and he suddenly got the idea that maybe this wasn't the best place to have a break.

* * *

Tecna had taken an early hit from Icy, and she still hadn't recovered. Timmy had remained at her side, offering her any help he could while also being ready to defend her if chance demanded.

"You're going to be alright," he comforted her, while above him Stormy and Bloom went head to head. Riven and Brandon were still at it, and Sky was doing his best to help out the rest of the girls, but the witches clearly had the advantage, and they knew it.

"Sorry, I don't think she is," Icy smirked extending her hand out before her. "I call this _geek alamode_."

Timmy could help but cry out in alarm as a sheet of ice crept along the ground to encase Tecna slowly. The Digital Fairy still wasn't able to defend herself, so she was completely vulnerable, and Timmy was virtually helpless when it came to battle magic.

But that didn't mean he was going to just roll over and give up. This was his crush she was attacking "Back off Icy!"

Icy scoffed a laugh. "Oh please. Here's a double scoop!"

Timmy's eyes widened as Icy's attack headed towards Tecna and himself. He couldn't stop something like that, and Tecna's legs were still trapped be the ice, making escape impossible.

"Stop!" Stella suddenly demanded, throwing herself in the line of the attack. With a surge of sun magic, Stella deflected the ice attack, melting it with her warmth. Icy did not look too impressed, but she wasn't a witch to give up just because of one little hiccup.

"Okay. Triple scoop!"

"Solar Flare!" Stella shouted back, hurling her own beam of magic in Icy's direction. The two powers collided, and both girls continued to feed them as they struggled to overpower each others attack.

"Tecna!" Timmy called urgently, trying to wake the still unfocused fairy. "You need to wake up!"

"Timmy?" Tecna croaked, slowly coming too.

"Tecna! You need to get free from this ice!"

"I'm so tired."

"Tecna! Please!"

But the fairy's eyes closed. This was not good.

* * *

"Can't you see what's happening?" Brandon hissed, his blade sliding across Riven's saber. "C'mon, Riven! These witches are bad news and you know it! We should be able to talk about this!"

Riven suddenly laughed, but it lacked any kind of amusement. "Same old Brandon. Still afraid of a fight."

"Excuse me? Do you not know what school I go to?"

"That's different. It's education. But if you move out of the classroom you lose your nerve. If you're faced with anything that doesn't fall under the schools code of conduct or your sense of duty you look for a way to step around it."

"Bull."

"No it isn't. You've been doing it ever since freshmen year. Things get too heavy or too personal and you run. You put up this good guy act, but underneath it all, you're a coward."

"And you're full of it, Riven!" Brandon growled, lunging forward. But like always, Riven words seeped into his subconscious and planted themselves firmly in his mind.

But before he could make Riven pay for his vicious words, a huge white light distracted the two Red Fountain students. Blinded by the sudden light, both boys were forced to stop and cover their eyes.

"What's that?" Brandon gasped, trying to see what was happening around him, but it was hopeless against such and intense light. That couldn't be coming from a person, could it? If if belonged to the Trix, then they were in trouble. But a second later, the three sisters fell from the sky and landed painfully onto the pavement.

"Darcy!" Riven called, running over to where his girlfriend had just face planted into the ground. She was not going to be in a good mood. After hesitating for half a second, Riven decided it would be worse if he didn't act so he quickly helped her to her feet. "Babe, come on."

"Retreat! Now!" Icy ordered the other witches, who didn't need to be told twice.

"I've never seen a power like this before," Sky gasped, no longer concerned about their retreating enemies. Although he didn't posses any level of magic, Sky was no stranger to it. But this was something else. "What is it?"

"I have no idea, bro," Brandon admitted. Slowly, the light started the fade and out of the middle of it materialized Bloom. Completely exhausted, she collapsed to her knees, and Brandon rushed to her side. "Bloom! Are you ok?

Groggily, Bloom raised her tired face to look at him. "What?"

"Whoa, you looked pretty wiped."

"I dunno what happened, but I'm so tired."

"Here. Let's get you back to Alfea," Brandon suggested, helping her to her feet. But as soon as she was standing, her legs buckled slightly and she almost fell again. Wordlessly, Brandon scooped her into his arms and carried her to the ship. And although he was still trying to figure out if it was possible that an Earth girl, who shouldn't have any magic to begin with, could have that kind of power, he couldn't help but notice how nice it felt to have her warm body cradled in his arms. Reluctantly, Brandon put her down on one of the equipment crates they had in the hold of the ship.

"Next stop; Alfea!" Timmy announced, starting up the engine. He had assisted Tecna into the ship, and she now sat beside him at the control panel. She was still a little groggy, but at least she wasn't an icicle.

"Timmy," she said almost shyly, her eyes fixed on the controls in front of her. "Thank you for everything you did back there."

"It was nothing," Timmy assured her, a bit of colouring entering his cheeks. "That's what us heroes do."

"You're too modest."

"Yeah man, take a complement," Sky told his friend before moving back through the ship to join the girls. Brandon had managed to find a powered sashay of heroes brew amongst their stores and mixed it with water before handing it to Bloom.

"Have some heroes brew," Brandon told the red head, handing her the cup. She was still looking pretty pale and tried, and heroes brew was the best way to counter something like that. "It'll bring you back to your self in no time."

Bloom managed to drink the cup in lightning speed, and her colour and strength instantly returned. She still looked drain, but it wasn't as bad as before. "Ah, I feel much better."

"We'll you don't look so good. Maybe you need some hero's makeup. Physce!" Stella teased cruelly. Her friends didn't seem to find it very funny, even though all the boys found the very idea of something like hero's make up was ridiculous.

"Come on Stella," Flora scolded in her pleasant voice. She and the other girls were clearing starting to lose patience with the princess.

Sky, however, found it secretly funny. Stella really knew how to spot out somebody's flaws, but she normally had enough restraint not to point them out or at least she didn't do it intentionally. But not having a moral road block allowed her to produce thing she would never say under circumstances and it took all of Sky's will power not to laugh out loud. "Is that the spell you mentioned?"

"Yeah, she's not herself at all," Musa told him. Sky felt sorry for Musa. While she was physically fine after the run in with the witches, Sky could tell she was still pretty upset about what had happened back there. Or, more accurately, what had happened with Riven. Why did a good girl like her have to fall for a jerk like Riven? And with Darcy pair up with him, the couple were going to flaunt their relationship in front of the fairy just to upset her.

Suddenly, Sky hated Riven for the way he was hurting Musa. It just didn't make sense. Sky was certain that Riven was crushing Musa before Darcy messed everything up, and now Riven was going out of his way to hurt Musa. That was just cruel, and no amount of screwed up childhood could account for that.

How could anyone be that heartless?

"So what happened to you back there, Bloom?" Timmy asked the fairy, taking his eyes off the sky for a second. But he was a pretty confident flier in this particular area, so he figured he could risk it. He's curiosity was too strong for him to ignore.

Brandon was just as eager for answers. "Yeah, you had an insane amount of power, do you realize that?"

"All I really remember is getting super mad," Bloom told them in a soft voice. She still didn't understand everything about her power so she couldn't explain it. Hell, she had only just discovered it for the first time a little while ago.

"Interesting," Brandon commented, but he was as lost of an explanation as Bloom was.

Luckily, Tecna seemed to have an answer for everything, and she provided it as she joined the rest of the girls at the back of the ship. "Well, I believe Blooms powers have evolved to a completely high level."

"Whatever it is, let's give a big loud shout out to our girl Bloom!" Musa suggested, in her usual cheery voice.

"I'm giving her a shout out to put on lipstick and change her outfit," Stella shot down, forcing Musa to roll her eyes.

"Does anyone happen to know how long these mood swing spells can last?"

Before anyone could answer, Stella got to her feet and continued her friend trashing. "Musa, that one shoulder look is so last century."

Musa's eyes narrowed slight as Stella continued to torment her. "Yo girl, mood swing spell or not you're wearing my patience real thin so you better just chillax. And if she doesn't I suggest we slap her with a good strong _opposidus_ spell."

"Oh yeah, just try it," Stella challenged.

"I'd rather not but if you keep pushin' . . ." Musa trailed off, leaving Stella to fill in the blanks herself.

"Look I happen to be a princess and I expect to be treated like one. I can't be treated like an average non princess," Stella told them all, pointing at Tecna before moving to Bloom, "or an earth girl."

Bloom groaned slightly, sinking in her seat. "Don't start with me again."

But Stella was not going to stop just because her friends asked her too. "Earth is like eww!"

Flora suddenly had enough. Gathering her magic and the spell she had learnt in the second week of school she put a stop to Stella's mood swings. _"Reverous opposidus!" _

The effect was immediate. Stella's bitchy attitude suddenly dropped and was replaced with a feel good spell that put her on a natural high. As a result, she became very warm and loving.

"You're all amazing and beautiful and its great and so are you!" Stella gushed, and everyone burst out laughing. "Tecna you're just so awesome, and Flora you the best and Musa I think you just rock, girl. I love from the bottom of your scuffed up sneakers to the top of your groovy pigtails. They're so cool!"

"Ah, the power of magic," Musa grinned as everyone continued to laugh.

"And we can't forget about the guys! You like totally saved our butts so many times! Brandon, you're so sweet! And Timmy, you're the coolest! Oh! And Sky! You're so hot! Come here you!"

Prince Sky suddenly found himself lock in her embrace as she smothered him in kisses, which made the prince go very red and his friends laugh even harder.

"I'd say this mission was successful," Brandon grinned at Timmy, who was looking over his should at the show that Stella was putting on for all of them.

"I'll second that!" Timmy laughed, before turning his attention back to where they were going.

* * *

_TBC_


	10. Magical Reality Check

_Alright, for this point on, the rating on Riven's storyline starts to go up due to sexual references and drug use. I personally don't approve of smoking and drug use (except of cause alcohol – I am Australian after all) but there's always one group of kids in a grade that do indulge in such acts and unfortunately they can sometimes be your friends. Believe me, I know for experience. So I figured I include it in my story since these things happen in reality. Plus I figure if any of the guys are going to get messed up in things that are bad for them it'd be Riven. _

_Anyways, I really like this chapter because it shows two different relationships and just how opposite they are.

* * *

_

**Chapter Ten – Magical Reality Check **

Riven slouched lower in his chair, staring past the screen that Javelin was trying to teach off. His instructors words washed over him, and he simply dropped deep into his numb, different state. Lex sat to one side of him, passing time by doing his party trick; blowing spit bubbles off his tongue. (1) Riven still didn't know how the short boy managed to do that, but every time he tried it Lex would send one little bubble of spit floating into the air before it popped into oblivion.

His old squad sat a few rows in front of him, diligently and responsibly taking notes. In the past, Riven had relied greatly on Timmy's note taking since he wasn't the best scholar to the world. Reading and writing wasn't Riven's strong point since he spent his childhood scrounging for food like a dog instead of getting an education.

But even if he was a decent student, Riven didn't think he would be able to concentrate. Darcy and her sisters words from the other day kept repeating over and over again around his mind.

**Flashback **

_"You sure you're alright?" Riven questioned. After Bloom had snapped the Trix, he had managed to get Darcy and her sisters back to the Hex Café to get them looked at. The witches had used their magic to remove the grazes they had received after getting a close encounter with the pavement. _

_"I'm fine!" Darcy snapped, before turning to bark at the staff of the café. "But where's my bloody drink! I swear, if I don't get it in the next second I'm going to redecorate this dump!" _

_Riven had never seen wait staff move so fast. _

_"They've got to pay," Stormy growled, her rage causing the lights to flicker. No one had to ask who 'they' were. The Winx Club had humiliated them in front of the entire Cloud Tower senior class as well as a few girls from the grade below. The Trix were not going to stand for that. _

_"What are you going to do?" Riven asked. He still didn't know if he felt comfortable with attack his former friends, but he had made his bed, he may as well lie in it. _

_"Don't the freshmen fairies have their exam in the magical reality chamber coming up?" Darcy spoke up, lowering drink for a second. Riven could almost hear her thoughts swirling into a plan. _

_"That's perfect," Icy agreed. "The magical reality chamber. She'll be all alone and helpless. Keep your ears open for any news on their exam. We'll only have one shot at this." _

_"We'll crush her," Stormy grinned. _

_"It'll be easy," Darcy nodded. "Like spiders catching a butterfly." _

**End of Flashback**

Riven wasn't too keen on the idea of helping to crush Bloom and her friends, but Darcy did offer him more than any other girl had before, and he wasn't about to walk away from that.

* * *

"Man, that lesson just kept on going, didn't it?" Sky sighed as he followed Timmy and Brandon out of the classroom and entered the sea of boys heading off to their final class for today.

"Well, one more and we're done for the day," Timmy sighed, trying to get passed a group of dawdling seniors.

"Thank the gods," Brandon mumbled, checking his watch.

"Oh will you relax already?" Sky said sternly, but there was a sly smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You're not going to met her till this evening and I'm sorry but you've still got to wait a few more hours."

"I know but . . . Oh come on. You were acting the same way two days ago when Stella was going to call you."

"That was different. She was late."

"By five minutes," Timmy pointed out.

"Still," Sky shrugged off, collapsing into his normal chair for battle history. Who's bright idea was it to schedule history as last period? Sky had enough trouble trying to keep awake as it was in this lesson, and when he was this close to freedom for the day, there was no chance of him concentrating.

Brandon was having the same trouble, but it had nothing to do with how boring the subject happened to be (which it was but unfortunately it was compulsory till junior year). When he had called Bloom late last night, he hadn't planned to ask her out. It just kind of came to him and he went with it. He wasn't excepting her to say yes right away. He figured they'd be more general about it and set a day in a few days at some place in Magix. At least that was how he would have done it if he had been given some time to think it over. Instead, he was forced to act on the spot and asked her on a walk for tonight. It was short notice and Sky couldn't think of a way Brandon could sweep her off her feet on a walk, but Brandon really didn't care.

He wanted to get to know better and hang out with her alone for once. He liked the Winx Club, but not in the way he liked Bloom, and he'd like to spend some time without Stella listening in on their conversation and drawing attention to them every time Brandon tried to start something tender. Stella was a great girl, but there were times when Brandon wanted to strangle her.

Time dragged over the afternoon, up until the point that Brandon was certain that it would stop for a minute or two when he wasn't looking at it just to annoy him. As a result, Brandon felt the best way to ensure that time continued going forward was if he kept his eyes glue on the clock all afternoon.

"A watched pot never boils," Timmy comment from his place at his compute, idly passing time by rewriting one of his programs.

"It's a good thing I'm not cooking then," Brandon said, his eyes never leaving the clock. Sky laughed from his place in front of the mirror where he was lifting free-weights, but Brandon didn't break eye contact with the face of the clock. "I swear the seconds are getting longer."

"I think you're just impatient," Sky grinned at his best friend.

"What bus is she catching here?" Timmy questioned, abandoning his program for a while to try and engage Brandon in a conversation. At the very least, it might get the blonde to stop watching the clock like some kind of predator.

"The bus should get here about six," Brandon answered, not looking up. "She can't stay long since she's got exams, but she thinks she'll be able to hang out for an hour or so and then I'll drive her home. Nothing too flash."

"Simplicity is sometimes the best thing," Timmy agreed.

"Still, I don't want her to think I'm not trying."

"Please, anyone can see that you're trying," Sky pointed out, dropping his weights to the ground with a loud thud. "Sure, you're not going all out, but that's okay for a first date. You don't want to scare her off man."

"But going for a walk? I hardly call that a very impressive first date," Brandon sighed.

"You're just getting to know the girl, dude, relax. It's not like you're asking her to elope with you tonight," Sky reminded him, before his face turned serious. "Are you?"

"No!"

"Just checking man. You know, anything's possible. And you know, hypothetically speaking, if we were going to elope, don't you think you should at least met the girls parents first? I don't think her daddy will be too pleased with you stealing his little girl away. I mean, he wasn't even that keen to let her go to Alfea let alone get married to the first guy she meets there."

"Sky!" Timmy warned, noticing that the prince's babbling was starting to irritate his squire.

"Hey, this is all hypothetically speaking," Sky assured everyone. "And, hypothetically speaking, if you were going to married to anyone, who would be you're best man?"

"You've got to be kidding me?" Brandon sighed. Here he was trying to make sure that time went in the right direction and Sky was asking him questions about a wedding that hadn't even happened yet and would never happen if time suddenly stopped. That boy needed to get his priorities sorted out.

"It's just a question, and I expect you to answer it."

"Lady," Brandon told him, reaching out and scratching the dog behind the ears.

"She can't be your best man."

"Why not?"

"Well first of all, she's a dog, and two, she's a girl. The title is best _man_ Brandon. Best _man_. I don't think people will like the idea of a best bitch."

"Sky!" Brandon snapped, trying to stop his friends babbling. It was distracting him from counting the seconds until Bloom arrived.

"Well that's what she is, no offence Lady. I didn't name these things. I'm just a poor little prince trying to make do with the word the dictionary has offered us. I can't change the world, and there's no going against a book like that."

"You make is sound like it's a religious document," Timmy commented dryly.

"For anyone who wants to use words, it basically is."

"Well, then," Brandon sighed, crawling off his bed and getting to his feet. "I think I might just leave you two to discuss religion and dictionaries and got wait for Bloom outside. Come on Lady. I don't think you should be exposed to this kind of insanity."

"That's blasphemy!" Sky shouted as Brandon left the room. He loved his friends like bothers, but they did always seem to get into some pretty random discussions.

"At least you don't complicate things like they do," Brandon said softly to Lady as she trotted alongside him. She had on that funny little smile dogs have and seemed quite content in the canine word which managed to exist without the dramas that surround dictionaries, religion and wedding parties.

While Brandon was silently wishing he could be a part of such a simplistic world, Lady suddenly ran ahead of him to the front doors of the school, barking excitedly.

"Lady! Wait up!" Brandon called, giving chase to the dog. But when he reached the front entrance to the school, he found that Lady wasn't alone. Giving the dog a hello scratch behind the ears, Bloom beamed shyly at Brandon.

"Hey Brandon."

"Hi. Wow, you look great," he smiled back. Even if time had dragged up until this point, it was totally worth the wait.

"What? This old thing?" Bloom asked, gesturing toward her usual light blue clothes. "It's just the same old same old. No biggy."

"You still look great."

"Thanks," Bloom blushed slightly, but it was hidden by the setting suns. Winter was coming on, so the days were getting shorter and night was falling earlier. "You're not bad yourself."

"It's just your standard Red Fountain uniform. Nothing new," Brandon shrugged. "I still don't know why they have to be so skin-tight. First time I put one on I felt so self-conscious. It's almost like wearing nothing at all."

"That so the damsels in distress you rescue can perv on their heroes as they sweep them off their feet, out yonder window and down a rope onto your valiant steed," Bloom grinned.

Brandon suddenly laughed. "Is that what you think we do?"

"Well, it's what heroes do in all the fairy tales back on Earth."

"You'll have to tell me more about them one day. It'd be interesting to hear about how non-magical beings see us."

"Trust me, it's nothing like the real thing," Bloom assured him. "Like, if someone had come up to me a few years ago and told me there are detentions out there with fairies, witches, dragons and ogres, I'd be all like, 'Nah-uh, as if'. Sometimes I can't believe all this is really real. I kept thinking I'm going to wake up and this will all be dream. But every morning I open my eyes and I'm greeted by a talking plant in a school for fairies. It's kinda mind blowing."

"I bet," Sky nodded before flinching as he felt Lady's warm tongue licking his hand. "I think Lady wants to go for a walk. Wonna join us."

"Yeah, for sure."

With Lady in the lead, Brandon showed Bloom around the grounds of Red Fountain. She had only ever been her once before, and she had been pretty preoccupied with finding Stella, so she was rather interested by the tour.

"This place has been here for over a thousand years?" Bloom gasped, looking up at the great, stone building.

"Well, the walls and the foundations are the same, but they've remodeled it and extended the building a few times over the years," Brandon explained. "The dorms at the back of the school were only built late last century, and they had to extend it to counter for all the students the school received. They've added as much technological advancements into the infrastructure as possible, but it's kind of hard when you're dealing with a world heritage building."

"Is Alfea a world heritage building?"

"No, but Alfea was built long after Red Fountain was. Alfea was created when they decided they needed a school of fairies, but Red Fountain was originally a stronghold and was used as a base in the Great Magix Wars. It was transformed into a school a couple centuries later when Alfea and Cloud Tower came along."

"Wow. That's so cool. It must be awesome to live in a real castle that has withstood real battles before."

"It's not bad, but in winter time it can get a little drafty," Brandon confessed as they passed through one of the many gardens surrounding Red Fountain. "You know, I didn't really liked school last year."

"What made you change your mind about it?" Bloom asked, and Brandon was suddenly uncertain with how he was going to answer that.

"Er, there are better people around this year," he said, blushing slightly. Luckily it was dark so Bloom couldn't see it. It wasn't an official rule, but heroes don't blush over stuff like that. A little embarrassed, he cleared his throat. "And, ah, other stuff too. They started serving glazed donuts at breakfast. The glazed ones are the best."

Bloom laughed and Brandon tried to stop his cheeks from getting any redder. Donuts? What girl wants to talk about donuts while on a date? So much for wowing her with his conversation skills.

Brandon quickly changed the subject and shifted the focus off him. "So how's Alfea?"

"It's cool. I like it but we have out first mid term tomorrow morning," Bloom said with a certain level of dread in her voice.

"They're no fun," Brandon stated the obvious, picking up a stick from the ground. Lady's eyes instantly brightened.

"Tell me about it."

"Hey you'll do fine," he told her confidently, and he honestly believed she would. After giving her a reassuring smile, he drew back his arm and pitched the stick he was holding off into the darkness. "Fetch!"

Lady quickly bounded off after it, and Bloom let out a deep sigh.

"It's a difficult mid term," she told him. "Magical Reality."

"No way. Heard the story about the girl who disappeared in the chamber? Wow," Brandon grinned, trying to lift her mood. It was an urban legend amongst the schools, but it was one that never died off. Lady returned to the pair looking pleased with her self, but Bloom still looked nervous.

"Yeah, I don't think that one's true, but Tecna said that your performance on this mid term is an accurate prediction of your long term success at Alfea," she said, and Brandon knew that Tecna's prediction had the Earth girl freaked.

Brandon crouched down and patted Lady on the head. If only people were as easy to comfort as animals were. "I'm sure you'll do well Bloom."

"Thanks. I hope so."

"Come on, I've seen the kind of power you have. It's so awesome. You are totally ace your test," Brandon gave a little prediction of his own.

"Power's only part of it," Bloom pointed out, also patting Lady. The dogs loving brown eyes seemed to comfort her slightly, but that didn't stop her from doubting herself. "And that thing in Magix might have just been a fluke."

Brandon didn't understand girls sometimes. Bloom had an amazing power and yet she was still hesitant about it. She was worrying herself sick over nothing. She'd be fine, Brandon knew it. If only she could see that. "I have a feeling you're going to rock."

"Thanks," Bloom said with a warm smile that Brandon couldn't help but return. Both were unaware that they were being watched by cold violet eyes, so they simply continued on their walk.

"I better get you back to Alfea if you want to get some study in before the exam tomorrow, huh?"

Bloom reluctantly nodded. "I really should go over a few spells again, but thanks for getting me out of study mode of a little while. I'll be heaps more focused, and it was interesting looking around your school."

"Any time," Brandon beamed at her. "Come on, I'll give you a ride home. Ever been on a levi bike before?"

"No. What's it like?"

"Oh, you'll see."

* * *

Riven had never had any reason to go to Cloud Tower before. Red Fountain weren't socially involved with them like they were with Alfea, and he didn't think the witches would be very hospitable if they were. In fact, virtually all the boys at Red Fountain view going to the witch's academy as entering some kind of lions den. It wasn't like Alfea, which was warm and easy to penetrate to get a glimpse at the beauties inside. Cloud Tower was hard and uninviting, and even if you did manage to get pass the endless defenses and hexes the witches had set up on their grounds, if you didn't have a good reason to be there the witches would inevitably turn on you as if they were permanently suffering for PMS.

So it was with a certain level of caution that Riven entered the doors of Cloud Tower after Darcy suggest he come met her and her sister there. He had gotten changed out of his uniform into more causal clothes since he knew witches detested anything that represented honour and valour. He had stolen a pair of Kane's old jeans that would have ended up around Riven's ankles if not for the belt he had snatched off his roommate as well.

It was only after he had traveled a fair way into the maze that was the hallways of the dark tower that Riven realized he had absolutely no idea where he was going. Darcy had ordered him to come to the dorm she shared with her sisters so they could discuss what it was they wanted him to do, but she had never told him exactly where her dorm was.

"Shit," Riven hissed through clenched teeth. He really didn't feel like wandering the corridors of the school considering it must be getting close to the school curfew and he really didn't think he'd be able to talk his way out of trouble if he was caught by the head mistress.

"Lost?" a voice came from the shadows to one side. As Riven's eyes adjusted to the gloom, he was able to make out the slim form of a witch perched casually on the top of a desk that had been moved into the hallway for some unknown reason, calmly filing her nails. "I thought they taught navigation at that little boys club you've got going on over there."

"Our classes don't extended to this crypt you call a school," Riven answered coldly.

"Now that's hardly the way to ask for directions," the witch told him in a composed tone, her sea grey eyes fixed on her nails. She looked to be about Riven's age and was dressed the usual dark clothes of a witch, but when he saw her tiny shorts and two coloured hair, he instantly remembered having a brief brush with her a few days ago. "You men are all the same. Now, we're you headed?"

Riven's eyes narrowed, and he contemplated storming off and ignoring the girl, but he still had no idea where he was supposed to be going. Finally, not wanting to be caught by Miss. Griffin or annoy Darcy with his tardiness, he gave in. "I'm looking for Darcy's dorm."

An undisguised look of detested crossed the witches face, and she flexed her figures as if she wished to slash something with her claw like nails. "You're Riven, aren't you? So you're her fun for this week?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind, just follow the light," the witch said, hopping down at off the desk. "Oh, and tell Darcy that Dominique sent you."

Suddenly, a deep burgundy ball of light appeared in front of Riven's face. After hovering for a second, the light moved off down the dark corridor lighting his path as it went. Riven, not one to ever trust any woman let alone a witch, hesitated and glanced at the witch with cold eyes, demanding an explanation but the space she had been occupying seconds before was completely empty.

Left with no other option, Riven followed the light guide that the witch – what did she say her name was? Dominique? – had conjured up for him.

"Take you're time, why don't you?" Icy snarled coldly as Darcy let him into their dorm.

"It would have been easier if you had told me where your damn dorm was to begin with," Riven shot back. "I'd still be wandering around if Dominique witch hadn't pointed me in the right direction."

"Dominique?" Darcy repeated with a tone that was almost a snarl. "How do you know that speedy sophomore?"

"I just ran into her in the hallway. She said to tell you she sent me."

"Oh she's asking for it," Darcy almost fumed. "We really need to do something about her, Icy."

"For giving directions?" Icy said coldly. "Oh come on, Darcy, don't tell me you've let her get under your skin? We're Cloud Tower seniors; we do not allow ourselves to get out feathers ruffled by anyone."

"But we can't let her get away with her open disrespect for us," Stormy pointed out from her place on her bed.

"We can play later, but right now we need to get down to business," Icy informed them all, turning her ice cold eyes onto Riven. "We're going to crush Bloom and her loser friends and you're going to help us, understand?"

"I figured as much," Riven told her coolly.

"I'm sure you did. Those pathetic pixies have humiliated us far too many times for us for us the let pass without retaliation, and they deserve something truly diabolical. First they foil our plans to ruin their little start of year party, then they sneak into our school as well as trapping us in Faragonda's office before finally humiliating us in Magix on Wednesday," Icy fumed. "But worst of all was that they set this stupid duck on me! _Argh!_"

In an act of pure frustration, Icy cast a beam of ice at the duckling that was crying at her feet, encasing it in its very own ice cube. Kicking it, Icy sent the little bird slipping across the floor to crash into the wall was a rather large amount of force.

"So how do you plan to take them down?" Riven questioned.

"Easy, how do you kill a snake?" Darcy asked him, trading his question to one of her own. "You cut off its head. Without the power of its fangs, its body is completely harmless."

"So who's the head?" Riven asked, only just managing to get what Darcy was going on about.

"Bloom," Stormy answered for her sister.

"After the magic she was throwing around in Magix on Wednesday, she's clearly the most powerful out of all those fairies. And what's more, she seems to be the little cheerleader of the group that makes them all sickeningly happy not to mention she's got your little friend Brandon on a leash. Take Bloom out of the picture and the rest will fall," Icy cackled, and she was soon joined by her sisters.

"You're not going to kill her, are you?" Riven paled slightly. He might not be on speaking term with Bloom and the others, but that didn't mean he was going to help commit murder.

"Oh Riven," Darcy laughed coldly, walking over to him and forcing him to sit down on her bed. Once she got him where she wanted him, she skillfully climbing into his lap, brushing up against him in a way that made him willing to do just about anything she asked of him. "You warriors think too narrow minded. You think the only way to go about seeking revenge and solving your problems is by sticking your sword into them. I think it's a gender thing.

"Women, on the other hand, and witches in particular, have discovered that the best way to make an enemy pay for their actions is by letting them live, but making suffer so badly that they wish they were dead," Darcy explained.

"Or develop an eating disorder," Stormy added.

"One or the other."

"We're going to strip Bloom of her power and let her watch as we use it to our own cause," Icy grinned maliciously. "The amount of guilt she'll feel for what we use her powers for will be unbearable."

"And where do I fit in?" Riven asked, trying to ignore the desire Darcy was managing to arouse in him.

"Well, everyone knows Bloom's hooked on the little blonde knight of hers, and vice versa, and they're going to confine in each other and sneak off alone together," Stormy pointed out with a nauseous look.

"All you have to do is keep you're eyes and ears open for when possible times for us to use to our advantage and then report them to us just like you did tonight," Icy told him.

"So you in?" Darcy asked in a deep, seductive voice. The way she watched him, the smell of her perfume and the way she shifted her weight in his lap was enough to almost drive Riven mad and clouded his mind.

"Definitely," he gasped, the palms of his hands sweating.

"Excellent," Darcy purred, her eyes burning.

"Another thing, if you're going to be coming up here regularly, there's an old tree on the outskirts of the grounds. You can use it as a portal to take you straight to our closet," Icy said, observing her nails. "It'll help you slip pass the teachers. Come on Stormy."

"We're going to go find that loser freshman, Mirta," Stormy told the couple as her and Icy headed for the door. "You guys wonna join and have some fun?"

"Another time," Darcy answered for the pair of them, climbing out of Riven's lap. "I've go some homework I've really got to do."

"Is that what you crazy kids are calling it these days?" Icy asked coolly, but there was a sly smirk tugging at her lips and then, not waiting for an answer, she left with Stormy to go torment the freshmen's.

"You want me to go?" Riven offered as Darcy put on a CD. The low surging music of the song started to play, accompanied by a delicate charming instrument that gave the song as rather disturbing feel to it.

"No," Darcy replied as the signers deep voice filled the room.

_You fell away, what more can I say?  
The feelings evolved  
I won't let it out _

"Don't you need to concentrate on you're homework?" Riven question, getting up and moving away from her bed. Darcy laughed.

_I can't replace your screaming face  
Feeling the sickness inside_

"I haven't done my own homework in years," she told him, moving over so she was standing right in front her him, her body lightly pressed against his. Again, her perfume engulfed his senses. "By having other people do it for me I get to have more fun."

Hungrily, her mouth covered his, kissing him in a hard, purposeful manner. On the edge of his consciousness Riven could hear the chorus of the song being screamed out, but it was drowned out by the blood pounding in his ears as Darcy's tongue penetrated his mouth. His emotions which had been oddly still over the last few days suddenly flared up, threatening to overwhelm him.

"Darcy," he panted, pulling back slightly as he tried to bring his emotions under control, or more correctly, his lust. His slight hesitation must have angered her, because the next thing Riven knew, Darcy had used her dark magic to send him hurling backwards through the air to land hardly on her bed.

Somewhat shocked, Riven gaped at Darcy, who didn't look angry at all. In fact, she seemed extremely pleased. Riven heard the click of the lock on the door, and then Darcy moved towards him, stripping off her top in her approach.

_So many words can't describe my face  
This feelings evolved  
So soon to break out_

"Darcy?" Riven said uncertainly as Darcy climbed on top of him. While there was no denying how turned on by this he was, it was also unfamiliar territory for him. "I . . . I've never . . ."

"I know," she almost purred in pleasure.

"But I . . . I don't have a . . ."

"I put a protection spell on me over a year ago. Just relax."

"But . . ."

Darcy softly _shush_ed, her eyes glowing with delight. By magic, Riven's belt suddenly came undone and flung itself free from his waist to the floor in one swift movement. (2)

_I can't relate  
To a happy state  
Feeling the blood run inside _

With a thrilled smirk, Darcy leaned down to capture Rivens mouth again, rocking her still fully clothed hips against his. Rivens desire overwhelming him as he ran his hands across the bare skin of her back to unclasp her bra. Darcy ripped his shirt off him, running her tongue across his collar bone before biting hard into his neck. Riven's entire body bucked underneath her and he groan loudly in pleasure.

Darcy's hands moved purposely to the fly of his jeans, and still the CD played on.

_Why won't you die?  
Your blood and mine  
We'll be fine  
Then your body will be mine

* * *

_

"Whoa," Bloom gasped, removing her helmet once Brandon's levi bike came to a stop inside the grounds of Alfea. Her hair was somewhat wind swept but Brandon thought she looked all the more adorable. "What a rush! It can see why you like to race those things."

"It's fun, huh? Maybe some time I could gibe you a lesson on how to drive one, what do you say?"

"Oh, okay. But I think I better get to the stage where I can ride on the back of one with my eyes open before I drive one. They're pretty scary."

"You're not saying I'm a bad drive, now are you?" Brandon asked.

"No, but riding a vehicle that doesn't touch the ground isn't an everyday occurrence on Earth unless you're a pilot or an airline stewardess," Bloom explained. How primitive the people on Earth must be. In the magical universe, they had invented levi shoes, and they were yet to invent a flying car on Earth. (3) Brandon couldn't comprehend the idea of a levi free existence.

"Don't worry. Soon you'll come to agree there's no finer way to travel," Brandon assured her, fondly patting the bike beneath him.

"I dunno. I'm still pretty impressed with flying."

"Well, if you're going to be that way about it next time you can walk all the way home on your own," Brandon told her in a jesting tone.

"Why walk when you can fly?" Bloom bantered. "And after you just insulted my winx what makes you think there'll be a next time?"

"Do you not want there to be a next time?" Brandon asked in an indifferent voice, but underneath it all he was burning with anticipation for her answer.

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see, now wont we?" Bloom grinned, and Brandon was pretty certain that she did want there to be a next time. "Well I better go get some last minute study in."

"Yeah. I'm not going to say good luck because I know you don't need it. You'll do awesome," Brandon told her.

"Thanks. I hope you're right about that."

"I know I am. See you, Bloom."

"Goodnight Brandon."

With one backwards little glance, Bloom vanished into the buildings of Alfea, and Brandon started the engine to his bike to go back to Red Fountain. And he couldn't suppress the satisfied smile that spread across his face.

"Not bad for a first date," he grinned to himself. "Not bad at all."

* * *

Riven lay still in Darcy's tangled sheets. Every inch of his naked body was covered in a thin sheen of sweat and he was trembling slightly in the aftermath of what had just happened.

Riven had never experienced anything like what happened, and he could understand why so many people devoted most of their time to trying to get it. He could feel the blood pumping through his veins as his body tried to compose itself. He was so exhausted that he felt like he had just been put though one of Red Fountain's training courses, though he did feel about a million times more pleased than he usually did at the ended of those courses.

"Not bad for you're first time," Darcy told him, sitting up. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and began looking for her clothes that she had thrown to the ground. "Now get dressed. I've got work to do."

"Okay," Riven nodded, grabbing his jeans off the floor. So maybe Darcy wasn't the warmest or the most romantic person in the world, but Riven really didn't care. Hell, in a matter of days he had gone further with her than Sky had after all that effort with Stella.

Darcy finished getting dressed and dropped the sound and sight shield she had erected incase her sisters had gotten bored with tormenting Mirta and returned to their room. The shield block any sounds from getting through in either direction as well as sight, giving her and Riven total privacy. Neither Stormy nor Icy had returned, but given the hour they wouldn't be tormenting any of their class mates. Everyone would be in bed by now.

"I'll call you later," Darcy told Riven, not bothering to kiss him good-bye. The witch snapped her fingers and vanished off to Alfea to sabotage the magical reality chamber.

Feeling somewhat used, Riven finished pulling his shoes on and left the dorm. He knew now about the secret portal to get him to Darcy's room, but he had left his bike at the main gates so he was forced to try and find his way back through the school.

"Dammit," Riven hissed after half an hour of wandering. He had forgotten the path the ball of light had lead him on, so now he was completely lost. "Can this get any worse?"

As if answering his question, there was a strange rushing sound coming at him from behind, but before he could turn and look, something moving at an unnaturally fast pace collided with him sending him hurling forward into the unyielding ground as a gust of wind flew passed him.

"Oh my god!" a female voice gasped, and in an instant Dominique was standing right in front of him. "I am so sorry. I smelt Darcy's perfume in the hallway and I thought you were her. If I had known you weren't her I wouldn't have hit you so hard."

"Um, that's okay," Riven stammered, not certain if that was the right response. Dominique made no effort to help him up. She was a witch after all. She had changed her clothes since he had last seen her, but even in her pajamas she wore the shortest pants imaginable.

"So was she mad?" Dominique asked him.

"Who?"

"Darcy."

"Why?"

"When you told her it was me who gave you directions," the witch reminded him in a tone that stated that she would not accept an answer not to her liking. "You did tell her, right? Because this does not end well for you fountain boy if you didn't."

"Oh right. Yeah, she got all worked up."

"Excellent. Exit's that way," the witch told him, pointing off in one direction.

"Thanks. I don't know how you girls find your way around here. Everything looks the same."

"Plus the castle always changes the corridors around."

"It does?"

"Yeah, it's like alive. You got no chance of ever finding your way around here," Dominique assured him, before looking him over as if pondering something. "I'm going to help you."

"What?" Riven questioned cautiously as the witch took something off from around her neck and handed it out to him. After a moment's hesitation, Riven accepted what she was holding out to him. On a silver chain was a pendant of silver that was in the shape of a hollow upside-down tear drop. Within the tear shaped frame was a crystal with a slight reddish/purple cast to it.

"It's something I've had for ever. It'll point you in the direction of anything you want," the witch explained. "Except it won't work on the Trix since they jinxed it after I kept using it so I could find them and run into them. But it'll like point you in the direction of their room or whatever."

"Why are you giving me this?" Riven demanded, never one to trust charity.

"To get to Darcy," Dominique answered maliciously. "See, me and your new little bed friend do not always get along and I'm always looking for new ways to get under her skin and you may be just that."

"And I'm supposed to stand for this?" Riven asked, not really familiar with the rules of female mind games and what he was supposed to do since he was seeing Darcy.

"It's not really up to you, but let me put this in a way you might be more keen on; This is between me and Darcy, and if you play right you can just cruise through this game and reap all the benefits, i.e. my crystal. I'm going to use you anyway, but I promise to play clean if you roll with it. Just remember, this is mine and Darcy's game, so don't try and interfere too much because it just might turn your liaison with her into a threesome, and I don't kiss nice. See ya."

With a sly little smile, Dominique turned on heel and bolted down the corridor so fast that she was literally just a blur. Okay, so she had super speed and a vicious vendetta behind her, but she did give him a good offer. Her and Darcy had their little ongoing war and he got all the benefits. Plus, it gave him a contact within Cloud Tower, and after having a fairly successful career in crime, he knew how important contacts were.

Letting the crystal hang from its chain, Riven willed it to find his bike so he could go back to Red Fountain to get some sleep. After a slight pause, the crystal flashed burgundy before pulling in one direction making the chain make an angel against Riven's hand instead of just hanging straight down as gravity demanded which lead Riven directly to where his bike was.

* * *

_(1) I have a friend that can do this and it seriously just floats to the ground like a soap bubble. I've tried to do it myself and I can get a bubble on my tongue but I just can't blow it off without popping it_

_(2) Like Jean did to Logan in X-Men 3; the Last Stand _

_(3) I really want my flying car already. They've been promising them for ages and we still don't have 'em. I am not amused _

_Dominique's kinda like Lex in that she'll only show up when I need her. Oh, and the song I used was System by Chester Bennington and is featured in the Queen of the Damned soundtracks which I don't own either. _

_TBC _


	11. Junior League

**

* * *

Chapter Eleven – Junior League **

"How superficial do you think Stella is?" Prince Sky asked one Friday morning when they were doing a practical on infiltration as part of a workshop of surviving in unexplored terrain. Each squad was ordered to try and penetrate several barriers of different materials such as metal, stone, a glass that was as strong as steel and wood on the idea that they might need to know how to do that in order to find shelter.

"What?" Brandon said, looking up from their barrier. Theirs was made up of a particularly difficult substance that was basically a liquid metal that kept moving and that the boys couldn't break through.

"How superficial do you think Stella is?" Sky repeated.

"Is this a trick question?"

"No, I'm serious; How superficial do you think she is? Is like a Justin superficial, or just a ditzy, fashion obsessed, teenage girl superficial?"

"The second one, defiantly. She's nothing like Justin," Brandon assured, looking over at the future Duke who was sitting aside with Marcus instructing the rest of the squadron in what they should do. The two boys made no effort to physically help their classmates, preferring to just sit aside and criticize.

Sky _hmm_ed, but didn't seem to look too comforted.

"What brought this on?" Timmy asked, mixing the chemicals they were going to use to get through the liquid metal barrier.

"Nothing," Sky sighed.

"Sky!" Brandon warned.

"It's nothing. It's just, I dunno. I was just thinking about what she said on the ship when we were heading back form Magix the other day. You know that whole speech about how she's a princess and how she expects to be treated like one? I can't get it out of my head."

"She was spelled. She had no real control over what she was saying," Brandon reminded his friend, though he knew deep down why it bothered the brunette so badly.

"But what if it's how she really thinks?" Sky sighed.

"She's not that shallow. I mean, with the exception of Musa, none of her friends are royalty but that doesn't stop her from hanging out with them," Timmy pointed out.

"But that's different. They're just her friends and I'm a bit more than that. What if rank really matters to her?"

"Does it matter?" Timmy asked. "You are a prince after all."

Sky inwardly flinched. "That's just it. What if I wasn't a prince? Would she still like me? What if the only reason she looked at me at all was because of a title? Maybe she doesn't even like me at all. Maybe she just likes the fact that she's dating a prince and she doesn't even care who that prince might be."

"I don't think you needed to worry about that. Stella likes you for you, I know it," Timmy assured the prince.

"Yeah man, she's like totally smitten by you," Brandon agreed. "Did you see the way her eyes lit up when we arrived to help them look for Musa. If life was a cartoon I think we would have seen little love hearts suddenly surround her. She doesn't care about that kind of thing. Hell, she's probably dated non princes before."

"I don't think she has," Sky mumbled. "What if I'm just the next in a long line of swallow, meaningless relationships she's had?"

"You're being ridiculous."

"Am I Brandon? Am I really?" Sky demanded, and Brandon knew exactly what he was getting at. Unfortunately, with Timmy around, they couldn't say everything they wanted to say without their deception coming out. Luckily, the conversation was cut off there before it got them any deeper by a huge explosion coming from one of the other squadrons. Every student in the room stopped work to watch the squad that had caused the interruption, which just happened to be Riven's new squad.

"Oh well done, Kane. Really, that was brilliant," Riven clapped as he took in what remained of the extremely strong glass barrier they were trying to break through. Kane's face went red with rage, which clashed horrible with his already vibrant red hair.

"If you had been paying attention this wouldn't have happened!" Kane snarled, but Riven's cool temperament remained unfazed, which was highly unusual for him.

"I believe you were the one in charge of the explosives," Riven pointed out coldly, his eyes displaying no emotion.

"Guys," Bourne tried to interrupt his roommates. The orangey-blonde student had gone very pale and his voice was shaking slightly as he stared at Riven with a sick look on his face.

"You were supposed to keep them apart from the chemicals!" Kane raged.

"Guys," Bourne tried again.

"The chemicals had nothing to do with this. You were using the blowtorch too closely to the explosives which sparked the explosion," Riven said uncaringly.

"Why you – "

"Guys!" Bourne cut off whatever insult Kane was going to throw Riven's way.

"What?" both boys snapped, finally acknowledging their classmate.

Bourne looked at Riven and swallowed in a way that indicated he was trying not to throw up. "You're leg, man."

"What?" Riven said again before checking his legs each in turn. There was nothing wrong with the left one, but when he saw what had happened to the right one, he was as surprised as the rest of his class.

"Oh gods!" Timmy gasped, covering his mouth.

A large shard of glass had penetrated Riven's upper thigh on the outside of the leg. There was no way of guessing just how big it was since most of it had cut its way into Rivens flesh, but the glass itself was between one and two centimeters in width and would and ripped into him like steel. A large amount of blood trickled from the cut, spilling down his leg and staining his blue and cream uniform red.

"You didn't feel that?" Bourne asked Riven in a shaking voice. Riven shook his head no, clearly as shocked as everyone else.

"I guess not," Riven answered quietly, touching the blood to make sure it was real. He hadn't felt anything when the glass pierced his flesh. He probably wouldn't have even noticed it if Bourne hadn't said anything. Hesitantly, he touched the glass and moved it ever so slightly. He felt nothing. There no pain, no nothing. It was as if you stabbed someone who was paralyzed from the waist down in the leg. The pain just didn't reach his brain. Confused, Riven gripped the glass, ready to pull it out of him.

"Don't you dare try and removed that," Javelin ordered in his same soft but stern voice, stopping Riven in his tracks. "I've already called the medical wing. Doc should be here in a moment."

"I'll walk," Riven told his instructor stubbornly.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm fine," Riven assured him coldly, turning and taking a step. Again, no pain registered. Javelin swiftly grabbed him by the collar, holding him firmly in place.

"If you want to spend the rest of you life walking with a cane, that's fine by me. Just do it outside of class. I particularly don't feel like explaining why I let someone with a serious injury walk to the medical wing to Saladin and Doc and nor do I feel like being fired over it. Now stay put."

Left with no other option, Riven was forced to wait till Doc, the schools physician, to arrive with a levi gurney to take him to the medical wing of the school to remove the shard of glass.

* * *

"I still can't believe he's still standing," Timmy commented that afternoon was they watch Riven from a distance as he lit up a smoke with Lex, Frankie and a few of Frankie's drugo friends in a place less patrolled by teachers.

"I know, it doesn't make sense," Brandon agreed.

"As if he didn't feel it. If a chunk of glass about the size of a CD went into my leg I would have noticed it," Sky said.

"Doc reckons he just must have gone into shock or suffered sever nerve damage," Timmy repeated what was going around the rumor mill. A massive injury like what had happened in prac class was always big topic for conversation, but Riven's indifferent manner about the whole thing made it all the more interesting.

"Whatever, I'm gonna go see Stella," Sky informed his friends.

"A date?" Brandon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not sure. She said it was going to be 'an escape from studying'. We'll probably just go to Magix and hang out or something," Sky shrugged, pulling out the keys to his levi bike. "Don't wait up."

"You kids behave yourself!" Brandon called after him as Sky headed off to the school garage. In virtually no time he was at Alfea and waiting in the girls dorm for Stella to finish getting ready. After she had made him suffer for a suitable amount of time, Princess Stella made her appearance and they were off to Magix.

Dinner was spent at a decent restaurant that wasn't too flash since Sky thought it would be best to keep it casual, though not too casual. He didn't think Stella would be too impressed if he took her Burger Prince. (1)

"So, what do you think about Bloom and Brandon? Do they have a shot?" Stella asked Brandon as they took a pleasant stroll through the streets of Magix. Night had fallen and the city sparkled like a thousand jewels through the darkness.

"Well sure. I know for a fact that Brandons hooked and I'm guessing that Bloom feels the same way."

"You'd guess right."

"Hopefully it all works out for them," Sky said softly, his dark thoughts about decisions he had made in the past still plaguing his mind. What if Bloom didn't want to be with Brandon after she discovered the truth? It would probably be just as big as a shock as it would be for Stella, if not more. Brandon had a little extra baggage that Sky did. And Diaspro was not the kind of baggage that would go away quietly.

"And Timmy and Tecna seem to be getting along, whatever that means to them," Stella continued as they walked along. "We just need to find Musa and Flora some guys. Some good guys."

"They'll find someone," Sky assured her, feeling that same unreasonable stab of guilt over Musa. He had no say in what happened between Musa and Riven, but he did feel sorry for her. Musa had had a hard life, and Sky just wanted to see her happy like any friend would.

Stella let out a deep sigh and latched onto Sky's arm. "If only everyone could have it as perfect as us."

"Yeah," Sky forced out, his guts twisting at her words.

"I mean, it's like out of a movie. Very cute boy meets stunningly beautiful girl. They exchange words. He saves her, she saves him. Everyone else gets extremely jealous of how wonderful they look together. You can't get better than that," Stella laughed, before noticing a flyer in the window of a shop they passed by. "Miss Magix Annual Beauty Contest. I was runner up last year. Do you think I have what it takes to win this year?"

"Oh, hands down," Sky instantly agreed, and it wasn't just because he knew that was the smart answer to a question like that. He honestly believed what he said.

"Really?"

"For sure," Sky grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist. "There is not a prettier girl _anywhere _in the universe."

"What about the celestial beings?"

"Even prettier then them."

"Oh, Sky," Stella grinned coyly. "You're so sweet."

"I do my best," Sky grinned, suddenly feeling more confident in him self. Maybe she really did like him for him. Without hesitation, Sky dropped his head and pressed his lips to Stella's. He didn't give a damn that they were standing in the middle of the footpath in Magix, all he wanted was to feel her lips next to his. Sky's senses went haywire and his emotion soared as Stella wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Mmm, Sky," Stella moaned, making the boy pause slightly before returning the kiss. For some reason, whenever she said his name it sounded so very wrong to him. Sky tried to block it all out and deepened the kiss, but Stella kept distracting him as she gasped, "Prince Sky."

Breaking the kisses, Sky took half a step back as he tried to smother the urge not to cry out in frustration. Forcing a smile, Sky offered his arm to Stella. "Shall we?"

"But of course," Stella laughed, accepting his arm and following him off down the street. And all though his smile was light, his heart felt heavy.

* * *

Out of all the natural hallucinogens in the universe, thujone, which came from the wormwood root, was one of the strongest and was one of the ingredients in the drink absinthe, a drink that was illegal in most realms, including Magix. How the Trix managed to get their hands on a bottle of the green drink, Riven didn't know, but at the moment he really didn't care. 

"Are you eating raccoons?" (2) Stormy asked Darcy, making her sister burst into fresh howls of mirth. Stormy continued to look perplexed. "Why are you eating raccoons? Why?"

Riven rolled over onto his back and stared up at the nights sky. He couldn't remember when he and the three witches had decided to leave the Trix dorm and go outside. All he could remember was trying to catch a tiny little green fairy with blood red eyes that sung about hills being alive with the sound of music (3). Once outside he finally understood what those fairies were going on about with the voice of nature. He had a lovely conversation with Gerald the tree who informed him all about the politics of trees as well as giving him a rather interesting recipe to make butters tarts. He'd had to tell Jacob that the best way to make them was with the left nostril of a camel. (4)

He was supposed to be at home resting his leg, but he could walk fine. Doc had given him several stitches and some pain killers which he really didn't need but they helped in getting him legless pretty quick, gas chamber or not. The Trix continued to babble nonsense, and Riven continued to watch the skies. He could feel his blood moving through his body, and he was thrilled by it. The only thing ruining his high was an odd buzzing in his eyes.

He had been hearing it all day, like someone whispering to him quietly enough for him not to make out what they were saying, but they had intensified as soon as he had arrived at Cloud Tower for some reason. But now, finally, he was beginning to make out a few of the words.

_"When the screams of a thousand . . . terror of the night erases day . . . consumed by shadow then the flames . . . night will rise once again." _

"Huh?" Riven stammered dumbly, but before he could listen more closely Darcy wrapped her arms around his neck from behind which was enough to startle him, shattering the hallucination.

* * *

_(1) I stole that spoof out of Shrek 2_

_(2) A friend of mine asked a question similar to this at a party after drinking absinthe _

_(3) I'm picking Kylie Minogue when she was in Moulin Rogue as the Green Fairy for this _

_(4) Yeah, that's all nonsense in case you couldn't tell. I know people who have, er, done those things, but I'm not naming names_

_And what's with the voices in Riven's head? Hmm, you'll just have to read on now wont you_

_TBC._


	12. Miss Magix

_Hey, I'm trying to get the rest of this story up as fast as possible since I'll be heading off to the snow to work in the middle of next month and I wont have much internet access, so there are bound to be mistakes that I've missed. Just think of them as little Easter eggs I've left for you to find._

_This chapter starts of with Brandon, Sky and Timmy but it eventually ended up centering round Darcy and why she is the way she is. Darcy's my favorite out of the Trix since_

* * *

**Chapter Twelve – Miss Magix **

"Dude, what is up with you?" Brandon asked Sky as they took their seats for first period which happened to be their last lesson before mid terms. Sky folded his arms on the desk in front of him and placed his chin in them, his usually cheerful face somber.

"Nothin'."

"Don't give me that," Brandon said sternly but without heat. "You were all mopey when you got home from you date with Stella and you're even worse this morning. You hardly touched your breakfast."

"I wasn't hungry."

"You're always hungry. Hell, you still at all your lunch that time we dissected kidney in science class and they served steak and kidney pie for lunch. Did something happen with Stella last night?"

Sky sighed. He may as well tell Brandon. The two had no secrets between one another and Timmy had had to rush back to their dorm after he discovered he was missing a text book needed in this class. Dropping his voice so no one would over hear them, Sky began to talk. "Well, no. Nothing bad at least. You know, we had dinner then went for a walk through Magix. She decided to enter some beauty contest and I flattered her outrageously. And then . . . "

"What?"

"We started making out."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"No, it was great, don't get me wrong about that. Hell, if I had my way we'd still be at it. I know guys normally don't wear lip gloss but I'm half temped to by a stick of that stuff Stella has just because of how nice it tastes and – "

"Sky, you're stalling," Brandon interrupted.

"Right. Well, you see . . . It's kinda like . . . When we were making out she kept . . ."

"Kept what?"

Sky sighed again, looking absolutely crestfallen. "She kept calling my Prince Sky."

"Oh," was all Brandon could come up with to reply.

"I know it shouldn't bother me, but it does," Sky complained. "I mean, what if Stella really is that superficial. What if she only really likes me for being a prince? Huh? Then what?"

"She's not that shallow?" Brandon objected.

"What if she is? It would never work between us."

"Does that mean you're going to stop seeing her?"

"Well, no. I don't want to."

"So then what are you going to do?"

"I don't know bro!" Sky finally snapped, slamming his head on the desk in front of him out of pure frustration. Timmy chose that time to rejoin his friends, his missing text book in his hands. The boy genius took one look at the prince and quirked one eyebrow, looking at Brandon for some kind of explanation.

"Stella," Brandon answered simply.

Timmy sighed sympathetically and took his seat. "Still worried about wither she really likes you for you?"

"Yes," Sky mumbled, his voice muffled by the desk.

"Have you ever thought of just taking to her about it?" Timmy asked.

"Oh yeah, that'll go down well. 'Hey Stella, babe, are you a shallow, gold digging, superficial wench who's just after the royal jewels or would you still love me if I was a penniless squatter living in a stable?'"

Timmy looked slightly shocked at Sky's response. "I wouldn't use that particular phrasing."

"It's what she'll hear, man, no matter how flowery I put it."

"You don't know that."

"Yeah, well, how bout you actually get a girlfriend, then we'll talk," Sky snarled, glaring up at Timmy, who looked like he had just been hit. Sky instantly regretted what he had said. "Oh, Timmy, I'm sorry man. I didn't mean it. I'm just confused, but that's no reason to take it out on you."

"Don't worry about it, Sky. I understand," Timmy smiled earnestly. "It could have always been worse."

"Holy shit man! You look like crap!" Lex laughed loudly as Riven entered the classroom. He did not look good. He skin was sickly pale, his hands were trembling and despite the fact he was inside he still wore a pair of dark sunglasses. Without any traces of grace, he collapsed into his seat at the back of the room where Lex, who was sniggering at his friends suffering, joined him. "Good morning, sunshine."

"I am _so_ hung-over," Riven told him, burring his face in his arms.

"You missed breakfast."

"I had a smoke."

"You had that for dinner last night."

"Just as well other wise I'd be hurling right now," Riven groaned, making Lex and a few other guys smirk while the rest (including Sky, Brandon and Timmy) rolled their eyes.

"Well, that'll teach you for drinking the night before classes," Kane, one of the ones who was no amused by Rivens suffering, said coldly.

"Piss off, Kane."

"That's enough boys," Codatorta growled, entering the room and heading up to the head of the class. After barking at his students to get their notes out, the professor began to teach his lesson, oblivious to wither or not his class was listening to him.

Riven rested his face in his hands, looking down at his open but untouched notes with closed eyes. Codatorta had ordered him to remove his glasses, so his eyes stung in the bright morning light. He really shouldn't have gone out drinking last night, but if he was put through it again, he'd probably do the exact same thing. He had had fun, and he had seen some pretty messed up things.

If only he could stop the buzzing in his ears.

* * *

"How is Stella competing in a beauty contest when they're doing their mid terms this week?" Brandon exclaimed, throwing the text book he was reading to the floor. His head was killing him after two hours straight of studying, and he needed a break.

"That's the power of women. There's always time for a beauty pageant. The end of the universe could be going on with fire and brimstone raining down from the heavens and they'll still finds time to walk around on a stage in high heels and swimwear," Sky told his friend, not looking up from the book in his lap.

"High heels are rather unusual footwear to take to the beach, aren't they?"

"Not for Stella," Sky noted just as his phone went off. "Ah, speak of the angel."

"Nice play one words," Timmy grinned as Sky turned his phone on. A second later Stella's cheery voice filled the room.

"Hello!" she squealed.

"Hey Stella," Sky grinned, reshuffling his notes. "You're on speaker phone."

"Hi Brandon! Hi Timmy!"

"Hi Stella," both boy answered in unison.

"So how'd you go?" Sky asked her.

"Gentlemen," Stella said, her voice absolutely overflowing with pride, "you are currently speaking with this years Miss Magix!"

"Congratulations!" all the boys said or offered giving some kind of variation.

"They like, loved me! Oh my gosh! The talent this year was awful! I mean, one girl had to be carried off stage covered in bird droppings, I'm not joking! It's a beauty pageant, not a poop pageant! I nearly got beaten by this one girl but she actually ended up being a Cloud Tower witch so she was disqualified. Just goes to show that the only people who can beat me in fashion are the ones who cheat. And then – "

"Stella? What are you doing?" Bloom's voice could be heard somewhere in the background of Stella's phone. "Stella! You're supposed to be studying! That was the deal."

"_Eeeps!_ Sorry guys, but I've got to go! Just thought I'd let you boys knows. Sky, I'll talk to you later."

"Sure thing Stella," Sky smiled. "Congratulations once again. Wish I could have been there. You're gorgeous babe."

"I know! Bye guys!"

"Bye!" all farewelled. As soon as Sky hung up his phone, his smile dropped from his face and he collapsed backwards onto his bed with a soft groan. His friends didn't even need to ask to know what he was thinking. Stella; she was a princess and heir to the throne of Solaria. She was beautiful, funny and now she was Miss Magix.

Could she be anymore out of his league?

* * *

Riven glanced over his shoulder back the way he and Darcy had just bolted, panting for breath. Apparently that shop owner didn't like the fact that Riven had just walked out of his bottle shop with over a hundred dollars worth of grog hidden in he clothes after demonstrating his skills to Darcy in order to get them a five fingered discount on the drinks. They would have gotten away with it too if that one bottle hadn't come loose and smashed to the ground just as they were leaving. Riven didn't normally get caught out when he was shop lifting, but when he did he knew it was best to leg it. Darcy had provided a bit of a distraction by causing an entire wall of wine bottles to shatter with her magic before Riven had grabbed her hand and lead her through the back streets of Magix in their escape.

"We lost him," Riven panted, releasing Darcy's hand. He also noted that in their efforts to get away they had also lost most of the alcohol he had picked up. What a waste. The very idea of all that lovely liquor smashing to the ground was sacrilege to Riven.

Darcy laughed breathlessly. She had never been exposed to such a level of crime before. The Trix usually stuck to bullying while they plotted their world domination, so Darcy had not been prepared for the thrill she got over the last hour or so as he watched Riven effortlessly rob others of their belongings. She had been in a bitter mood when Riven had met her in Magix after the Trix's plans to sabotage the Miss Magix's Beauty Contest had been foiled. Not that she cared about the result, but she never like the idea of someone as perky as Princess Stella being happy. For some reason that just made her skin crawl.

With her mood out of sorts, Riven had offered to cheer her up by lavishing her with expensive gifts paid for by unsuspecting others. While Darcy was delighted by the thought of gaining something at other peoples expense, she found she enjoyed the act of stealing it more than the ultimate result of their work. Riven sure knew how to work a crowd, dipping his hands into people pockets without them knowing and confiscating their wallets casually.

"Well, that wasn't as successful as planned," Riven commented, pulling out the only surviving bottle of grog. It was a black label bottle of bourbon and was the one Riven would have been most disappointed if they had lost. "Wonna crack this open?"

"Save it for later tonight," Darcy instructed before gesturing towards a bar that was just down the road. "I think Icy and Stormy are at the Apple now. Wonna go?"

Riven glanced in the direction of the large clock that overlooked virtually all of Magix. "Sure, why not? It's getting close to beer o'clock anyways."

Beer o'clock was virtually any hour now-a-days, but Riven didn't care about that. Stashing their loot away, Riven and Darcy headed across the street to the Poison Apple (1), a rather seedy pub in downtown Magix. After flashing the bouncer at the door a very realistic fake ID Darcy had supplied for him, the couple made their way into the dark, smoky room in search of Darcy's sisters.

"You guys smell like alcohol," Stormy commented when the couple found her and Icy sitting at a table towards the back of the pub. "What have you guys been up to?"

"We smashed a bottle-o," Darcy told her as both she and Riven lit up.

"Why would you do something like that? It's a waste."

"We were robbing it and got sprung."

"Oh very smooth," Stormy said with a roll of her eyes.

"I'd like to see you try better," Riven challenged her. Stormy locked her electric eyes on Rivens dead ones and Riven could hear the air around him start to crackle as her temper rose.

"Chill, Stormy," Icy ordered, unwrapping herself for some older gentleman she managed to latch onto for the night. "You're making my hair go staticy."

Stormy growled before getting to her feet and moving towards the bar to buy a strong drink and Riven quickly sized up the man in Icy's arms. He had to be in his mid twenties, but Icy did like the older men and he looked like sleaze.

"Hey Dean, it's your shot," another man told Icy's entertainment for the night, handing him the pool cue. Dean got up to take his shot, but when the other man saw who was sitting at the table, he lingered around. "Hello Darcy. Long time no see."

"Travis," Darcy nodded in acknowledgement with very little emotion behind the greeting like the way one might greet a distant acquaintance.

"Where ya been, babe? I haven't seen you in ages. What you been up to?" Travis asked in a familiar tone. He and Darcy clearly had some history together despite the indifferent way Darcy was treating him.

"School. Tormenting others. Striving for total domination. The usual," Darcy shrugged, causing Travis to laugh.

"You Trix Sisters never change do you? Say, what you doing to night? Cause how about you and me head back to my flat and have some fun, ay? You know, like we did back in the day."

"I can't. I'm occupied tonight," Darcy told him firmly, giving a sideways glance in Riven's direction. Travis didn't miss it, and for the first time seemed to notice Riven.

"Oh come on. You don't mind if I steal her for an hour or so, now do ya mate?"

"What?" Riven asked, removing the cigarette from his lips to stare at the man is disbelief. He did not just ask what he thought he did, now did he?

"Well you know what it's like with her, don't cha? You know, like five guys at once. Sharing is caring after all," Travis grinned as if this was a common occurrence.

"Excuse me but I never had five guys at once," Darcy snarled, her temper rising.

"I wasn't saying it like you had all five guys in your bed at one time, but you did used to whore yourself around when we were shagging," Travis reminded her in an unpleasant tone.

"_Whoring myself?!" _

"Relax Darcy. It's not like you don't know what people say about you. So let's go have some fun and you can pick the kid up later," Travis suggested, causing Riven to get to his feet.

"She's not interested, now back off!" Riven hissed coldly, shoving the older man.

"You better watch you're kid or you're gonna get hurt," Travis warned, his eyes burning. "When did you start babysitting, Darcy? I guess you really will root anything."

"That's it," Riven snarled, fully intent on introducing his fist to this guys teeth, but Darcy beat him to it. With a cool flick of her wrist, the witch unleashed an explosion of energy directly in front of her ex-lover, sending him hurling backwards into a table which collapsed under the sudden weight.

"You have a very strange type of foreplay," Icy commented to her sister dryly, but Darcy was too furious to respond. A purple haze started to surround her, and all the spectators of the fight moved as far away from her as possible without moving out of eyesight of the drama.

"_Argh!_ You bitch!" Travis raged from his place amongst the shattered timber. "You're going to pay for that, slut!"

"_Deadly Nightshade!!"_ Darcy screamed, casting a wave of black matter his way. An orb of pure black energy engulfed the man, making it impossible to see what was going on inside the sphere. But as the magic faded, Riven wasn't sure he wanted to see what had happened.

Travis's skin was pale and shivering uncontrollably as the darkness deteriorated. Ugly purple bruises covered most of his body and he couldn't respond to Icy's date Dean asking him if he was alright.

"Well of course he isn't," Icy pointed out to them calmly. "That was one of Darcy's strongest attacks, and he's going to be feeling it for a while. You shouldn't have pissed her off."

Snapping out of his shock, Riven quickly shifted his gaze to the place where Darcy had been standing when she had unleashed such a powerful attack, only to find it completely empty. Darcy was no where to be seen.

* * *

It took Riven a few hours to finally locate Darcy. She had teleported herself out of the pub and Riven had no idea when she had run off it. Dominique's crystal didn't do him any good since it was jinxed, so he was forced to do it the old fashion way; Look.

It was past midnight by the time he came across her sitting alone on a bench in the middle of Magix River Park. Her head hung low and her long hair veiled her face, making it impossible for him to see her face. Hell, he could hardly see her hidden amongst the shadows. Cautiously, he approached her.

"Darcy?"

"Go away, Riven," she told him in a dead voice, not looking up.

"What's wrong?"

"I told you to go away."

"Darcy!"

"Just go Riven."

Riven turned and started to storm off. He was sick of Darcy and the way she was always distancing herself from him. He was through with trying to chase after her. If she didn't want him there . . . _fine!_ Forget it. He'd leave.

His retreat stopped, however, when he realized that he couldn't walk away from her. Where would he go? He had already ruined everything he had with his friends and although he knew they would probably forgive him being the saints they are, he wasn't ready to go and ask for their pardon. He just couldn't do that. Being the pessimistic he was, Riven couldn't ignore the possibility that maybe they wouldn't forgive him making him all the more hesitant. Plus, even if they did forgive him, that didn't mean he could ever be able to forgive himself for everything he had done. This wasn't about pride any more; it was about fear and guilt.

Also, he had been completely devoid of emotion except when he was with Darcy and he'd rather be in pain that feel nothing at all.

"I'm not leaving," he sighed, walking up behind Darcy and placing his hand on her shoulder. She stiffened slightly under his touch as if scared.

"Why?" she asked, a strange uncertain catch in her voice. For the first time since he had known her, Riven heard true emotion in her voice, and she sounded close to tears which shocked him more that when she had suddenly attack Travis in the bar.

"I dunno. That's what people in our position are supposed to do, aren't they?"

"I don't want you to see me like this," she sniffed, her voice wavering. "This is a weak moment for me. No one's supposed to see this."

"Fine," Riven nodded after thinking about it for a few seconds. Slowly, he made his way around the bench to sit along side her, but purposely looked away from the upset witch beside him.

"What are you doing?" Darcy asked him softly. There was no malice behind the question, just vulnerable curiosity.

"Not looking at you."

"But why are you still here?"

"You're . . . offended by what that Travis guy said back there," Riven pointed out, purposely avoiding the word upset or anything she might take as weak. "And when you're offended by something like that it's better to have someone with you. You don't have to talk about it, it's just better than being alone."

Darcy let out a mocking little laugh. "I've never been alone in my life. I always had my sisters with me. We're all the same age, we grew up together and we always had to share everything. Can you believe I'm in my final year of high school and I've never had my own room?"

"A lot of people don't have a room at all let alone one to themselves," Riven pointed out.

"That's beside the point. I never had anything. I was always over looked. Icy was the ambitious one and always managed to steal the attention of anyone even if it meant putting them in a body lock and forcing them to look at her. Stormy was the same. She was so loud growing up, not like me. Her temper tantrums were like a natural disaster so my family was always focusing on her and making sure she was happy. They never did that with me."

"It's part of the job description that all parents have to do everything in their power to mess up their kids life."

"But it wasn't just my family. Everyone did it. Everyone just over looked me like I wasn't even there," Darcy told him, her voice almost breaking as tears swelled in her eyes. "When I was little, I went out into the woods, sat down under a tree and waited for someone to miss me and come looking for me. I did that first thing in the morning and it was dark by the time I realized no one was coming. They didn't even notice I was gone. I was nothing more than a shadow to them.

"But when I got older people started to notice me. _Boys_ started to notice me, actually, and I liked it. Whenever I was alone with one of them it was like nothing else in the world mattered to them. All their attention was on me, and I liked it. I liked it a lot, but I'm not a slut, Riven. I'm not."

Darcy suddenly went silent and the night closed in around them. Riven didn't know what to say so he didn't even try. Instead, he stared off into the darkness listening to the sounds of the city. But then a new sound reached his ears. A sound that he honestly thought he would never hear.

The sound of Darcy softly crying.

Hesitantly, Riven twisted his body and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend as if he was hugging a wolverine. He knew she would hate the fact that he was comforting her, but he couldn't just sit by while she was so upset. Darcy's body went ridged for a second, before she clung to him like a heart broken child. She didn't wail – that wasn't like her – but rather silently let her tears fall from her eyes. He could feel them seeping into his shirt and he knew her eye make-up was going to smudge. He was seriously going to need to rethink his decision to wear white wife beaters.

The pair was silent for the longest time until Darcy had cried herself out and even then they didn't move or say anything. It was mostly because neither of them knew how to react after such an open display of emotion. Their relationship wasn't based on exposing their inner thoughts. In fact, it was the exact opposite.

"What are you doing?" she finally broke the silence in an uncertain voice. No one had ever held her like that or witnessed her open up like that or stirred the emotions inside her like Riven did, and she didn't understand it.

For a second Riven didn't know how to answer that, but as he looked at her for the first time since he had sat down he found the words. "I'm looking at you."

Darcy suddenly laughed, and it was the first laugh Riven ever heard her produce that didn't have a wicked undertone to it. "Oh, puppy dog."

"Come on, let's get you home," Riven suggested, getting to his feet. Darcy followed suit, jumping onto Riven's back so he could carry her to his bike and for the first time in a long time, she felt happy. She quickly discarded the possibility that Riven was responsible for it or that her feelings for him had deepened in anyway. That jut wasn't possible.

But that night, for the first time, Darcy made Riven spend the whole night with her.

_

* * *

_

_There aren't very many sweet Darcy and Riven scenes out there, so I figured I write one to change that. _

_TBC_


	13. Meant to Be

_As you may have already guessed, I'm an out and out Musa/Riven fan and the one thing I hate about this season is that they really don't interact with one another and there aren't that many opportunities for me to put them together. This chapter is my one chance to change all that which is why no one else appears in this apart for them. I just really had to get it out of my system._

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen – Meant to Be**

The sky over Magix was grey and threatened to open up on the city and release the spring rain that had gathered in the atmosphere. Brontide (1) had steadily gotten louder and the chance of rain was now undeniable. The temperature had dropped compared to yesterday, making the city cold and dreary, and everyone seemed to be in a rush to reach whatever destination they were headed to before the down pour.

But not Riven. He sat motionless on a picnic table in the park, his emotionless eyes fixed skywards at the angry looking sky. He was alone, as usual, and to the people that happened to glance in his direction, he seemed unaffected by the chill or even the world around him. He didn't even flinch as a deep rumble of thunder filled the air so powerfully that everyone felt it pass over them. He was far to detached from everything to notice something like that.

"Just rain already," he told the grey sky above him. Another roar of thunder muttered at him, but not rain fell. Riven's dead eyes narrowed slightly, and he changed his approach. "On second thoughts; don't."

A white flash of lightening answered him, and with a low growl ripped through the air before the clouds suddenly opened and the rain fell down towards the ground. The people who had not made it to shelter picked up their pace, and in a matter of seconds the normally bustling city of Magix seemed to withdraw. Silently, Riven let the rain collapse onto him, soaking into his clothes and giving him a chill he knew he should feel but that didn't touch him.

A faint ironic smile brushed across his lips, but other than that he didn't move. He closed his eyes and let the rain hit his face, wishing that he could feel it. The rain may have well been falling onto stone. Gathering in his eyes, the rain fell down his cheeks like the tears he could not shed no matter how desperately he wanted to. He had become so lost and confused over the last few months all he wanted to do was to weep, but he didn't know if he could even if he did lower his defenses.

Apart from the time he spent alone with Darcy, Riven walked through life in a completely numb state. He felt no joy, angry, pain and guilt leaving him a hollow shell. When he had cut his leg open, he had seen and touched the crimson blood that flowed from his wound, but even that didn't seem enough to assure him that he was real. He had only pulled on his white jacket today out of habit, not because he felt cold. He had become so numb and distant he no longer felt alive.

Getting to his feet, Riven wondered aimlessly through the empty streets of Magix. Sticking his hands in his pockets, he made no effort to try and find cover out of the weather. Instead, he continued on through the downpour. He had no idea where Darcy was and frankly, he really didn't care.

His life had gone steadily down hill over the last few months, and he couldn't help but notice that it all began when Darcy had entered the picture. Their relationship had been exciting to him before, but now that passion had all but fizzled away. Hell, now the only time he felt anything for her was when they were fooling around or arguing.

In fact, that was the only time he ever felt anything now-a-days.

He had pushed his boundaries so much and still he felt nothing. He had sold out his old friends so many times and put them in extreme danger and he didn't feel any shame for his actions. He purposely said things to them he knew would upset them greatly and still he didn't feel guilty. It was making him paranoid and desperate, and he knew if he didn't work out what was so wrong with him he'd keep pushing it till there was no way he could come back from it.

And he knew he had turned his back on the only people who could probably help him. He couldn't believe how careless he had been with his friends and how much he had taken them for granted. His whole life he had been alone, so his friends were his family and he had just disregarded them as if they were nothing. He didn't have the right to even call them his friends any more. His old friends no longer even cared what he did and no matter how far Riven pushed it he knew he would never get there attention and make them see that something was really wrong with him. He had burnt that bridge too completely for that.

His answers laid with Darcy now. She had become strangely more affectionate towards him recently which Riven actually found rather unnerving. He remembered wishing she'd behave like that before, but now he wasn't sure if he wanted her to act like that. When they first started going out everything was straight forward; she'd get what she wanted out of him then he'd leave, and that was how Riven thought this was going to work so he adapted to it. But now she was acting like a normal girlfriend would, and Riven found that scary. They were even doing sleep-overs now which was messing up everything Riven was used to.

He had made himself become so cold to adapt to his solitude and Darcy's alienation of affection and he knew that, like a frozen over lake, he'd eventually get so hard he was going to crack under the pressure. He knew he couldn't take this much longer.

"I'm such a mess," Riven muttered to himself, kicking a rock that was in front of his feet. His clothes and shoes were beyond soaked now but he didn't care. It wasn't like they could make him feel uncomfortable or anything.

Unable to find any kind of peace, Riven continued on through the empty streets. He was so tried from so many sleepless nights and he felt weak because of his loss of appetite but he couldn't stop his self destructive behaviour. He couldn't stop any of it.

And then the sound of someone's voice managed to penetrate his silence, forcing him to snap out of his misery sharply. He knew who the voice belonged to, and his eyes seemed to find her instantly.

In a day where most normal people would be huddled inside trying to keep warm, Princess Musa clearly saw it as the perfect weather to go outside and dance. Singing some wordless tune, the musical fairy skipped across from puddle to puddle, jumping up high and landing in each, spending water flying everywhere. Her clothes were completely saturated, and her pig tails drooped under the weight of the water that had gathered in them.

With another high jump, Musa splashing into another puddle and gave a huge kick which sent the water flying into the air like diamonds to be lost amongst the rest of the falling rain. A delighted smile spread freely across her face, and then her voice was released in song.

_Let's go back, back to the beginning _

_Back to when the earth, the sun, the stars all aligned_

_Cause perfect didn't feel so perfect_

_Trying to fit a square into a circle was no life_

_I defy_

From where he stood, Riven could see her perfectly, though he didn't think she could see him. He didn't think that she'd be so carefree if she knew he was there, watching her like that.

_Let the rain fall down, and wake my dreams_

_Let it wash away my sanity_

_Cause I wonna feel the thunder I wonna scream_

_Let the rain fall down I'm coming clean_

_I'm coming clean_

There was something boarder line perverted about watching a girl when she didn't know he was there, but Riven couldn't seem to turn and walk way. He was captivated by the way she moved. Her shiny, wet skin glimmered with each turn, and her shirt clung tightly to her chest, highlighting things he couldn't look away from.

_Let the rain fall down, and wake my dreams_

_Let it wash away my sanity_

_Cause I wonna feel the thunder I wonna scream_

_Let the rain fall down I'm coming clean_

_I'm coming clean_

Riven's eyes narrowed as her sneakers scuffed along the slippery pavement and created a sharp squeaking noise. She was so _loud_. Everything that girl did produced some kind of noise, or as she liked to call it, music. Each step she took tapped out some kind of beat and she was constantly humming or beat-boxing. As a thief, Riven couldn't understand the desire to go through life bring so much attention to ones self. He usually tried to make himself so silent no one would notice him, but Musa wasn't like that. She liked her noise. It was so foreign to him, and yet he found her strength to be so open like that admirable.

_I'm shedding, shedding every colour_

_Trying to find a pigment of truth beneath my skin_

_Oh oh_

_Cause different doesn't feel so different_

_And going out it is better than always staying in_

_Feel the wind_

A ghost of a smile touch Riven's lips as Musa twirled into another puddle, but that smile suddenly turned into a gasp as he felt a small rivulet of water trickle down his neck and disappear down under his dripping shirt. And then he felt the rain dropping down upon him and the chill of the air. He could feel a slight tugging from the crystal Dominique had given him which was hanging from the waist line of his pants, and it was pointing towards where Musa was dancing. For the first time he felt the dull ache in his leg where the glass had pierced his flesh so deeply and he felt his guilt so strongly it made his stomach churn.

_Let the rain fall down, and wake my dreams_

_Let it wash away my sanity_

_Cause I wonna feel the thunder I wonna scream_

_Let the rain fall down I'm coming clean_

_I'm coming clean_

Panting for breath in ragged little gasps, Riven's entire body trembled as his emotions started to surface. He had gotten so used to not feeling anything that he was not prepared for when they finally broke through. His shame was almost unbearable.

_Let the rain fall, let the rain fall_

_I'm coming . . ._

Still reeling, Riven wasn't aware that anyone was coming near him till Musa crashed into him in mid twirl. Through his damp clothes Riven felt the warmth of her body, and the crystal at his waist tugged harder towards the fairy.

"Oh! Sorry! I . . ." Musa started, but her words and her smile faded slightly when she saw exactly who it was she had just run into. "Oh, it's you."

Riven felt like he had just been slapped across the face. There wasn't any malice in her voice which made Riven almost wish there was. Instead, her voice was cold and distant, but he did manage to pick on the deep levels of hurt that happened to sneak through her defenses.

"Where are you're little friends?" Riven asked, forcing his voice to be as cold and detached as hers.

"Where's Darcy?" Musa answered his question with one of her own.

"Like I care?"

"You're dating her."

"Your point?"

Musa's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Riven felt slightly delighted at the fact that he could get her to focus such an intense look in his direction. Her midnight navy blue eyes burned into him, and he basked in that fire. It would be such a lovely way to burn.

"Forget it," she _huff_ed, moving past him. "Forget you."

"Hey, hey, hey," Riven cooed in a slightly patronizing voice, grabbing her wrist as she glided past him and delaying her departure. "That doesn't seem to be a very good example of the famous hospitality of the Alfea Fairies."

"Well, you don't seem to be a very good example of the famous nobility of Red Fountain," Musa shot bad, ripping her arm free from his hold. Riven could help but notice how smooth it felt. Despite her freedom, Musa didn't leave. Instead, she turned on Riven ready to rip into him. "I'm surprised your skin doesn't sizzle every time you put your uniform on since it represents honour and nobility which you clearly don't have."

"Oh I don't, do I?"

"Well yeah. The way you've been acting lately is totally whack. It's a miracle you haven't been expelled yet. You're so conceited and so rude. What are you trying to prove? Are you trying to set a record by being the biggest jerk alive? Cause you're whole bad boy thing is totally bump."

"You know you like it," Riven smirked, moving closer to her. Musa's navy eyes widened and he could see her swallowing hard as Riven moved his body closer to hers. The proximity of the two of them was nearly enough to intoxicate him, and he could tell he was having a similar effect on her.

"What are you doing?" Musa asked in a trembling voice, and Riven honestly didn't know. He wasn't trying to be patronizing and he wasn't out to hurt her, but he just couldn't seem to break free from the strange force pulling him towards her. "Riven?"

"What is it about you?" Riven questioned more to himself than her, making her eyes widen if possibly more. He wasn't sure when he had done it, but he suddenly found himself caging Musa up against the wall within his arms, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Me?" Musa managed to choke out, her mouth completely dry. She had no idea what Riven was doing, but for some reason she couldn't break away from his gaze. That wasn't longing she saw in his eyes, now was it? "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know," Riven admitted, his voice no more than a wisher as his face closed in closer to hers. He could feel her warm breath brushing over his skin softly. He had no control over what he was doing and for once he didn't care in the slightest. He could remember the way she used to affect him just be looking at him in the past, and he was curious to see what it would be like if he was to actually touch her in the way that used to plague his dreams at night. Lightly, he felt the tip of his lips brush across hers.

_Wham!!!_

In too much pain for words, Riven collapsed to his knees struggling to breathe. Musa had panicked at his approach and reacted in the most heinous option that impulsively popped into her head and kneed him square in the groin. She stared down at him with wide eyes, her hands shaking and breath ragged from shock. She didn't know what he was getting at trying to kiss her despite the fact he had a girlfriend so she was surprised and confused with his actions. But that confusion swiftly turned to fury.

"What the hell is your problem?!" she snapped, her eyes blazing. Riven thought the answer was pretty obvious – _she just kicked him in the bloody cods for crying out loud! _– but he still hadn't been about to find his voice so he couldn't reply. "Do you just mess with people for the fun of it?! What kind of sick, twisted creep are you?! You are like totally bunked! Seriously, I've seen the way you've been acting recently, the way you've been acting with Darcy, and it's disgusting! And the way you've be treating you're friends its . . . its . . . _Argh!_ It's vial! You're vial! You're repulsive! You're scum! You're . . . You're . . ."

Maybe Riven was sick, because he was enjoying this. It was the first time he had enjoyed and exchange with another person in months that didn't involve foreplay. He could suppress the smirk that spread across his face as he finally found his voice. "You're getting turned on by this, aren't you?"

_Slap!!!_

Riven's cheek stung from where Musa had slapped him, and the sound from where her hand had connected with his wet flesh still lingered in the cold air. Shaking his head to try and clear the pain while Musa's eyes burned into him

"I don't know how you live with yourself!" Musa spat, storming off so she wouldn't see her tears. As she left, Riven felt the pain in his leg from where he had been stabbed and where Musa had just kneed him fade and he could no longer feel the rain falling down on him or the cold in the air. Everything slipped back into an untouchable, numb state that was like a prison to him. Except instead of being deprived of his freedom, Riven was deprived of his emotions which made he feel like he wasn't ever real.

"Neither do I," Riven whisper to himself in response to her statement. Feeling no pain at all, Riven got to his feet and headed off through the wet streets of Magix unaware that around the corner, the fairy he was meant to be with waited. And his final words were not missed by her sonar ears.

* * *

_Whoa, Musa and Riven have a bit of an S&M relationship, ay. Oh well, nothing quite like la douleur exquise._

_(1) Random useless fact; the low rumbling of distant thunder is called 'brontide'_

_The song I used with Hilary Duff's "Coming Clean" which I had stuck in my head one rainy day at school so now I always relate that song to rainy days. _


	14. Witch Trap

_Okay, I so don't get the continuity for this bit of the season. From 'Magical Reality Check' to 'Miss Magix', the Alfea girls are meant to be doing their mid term exams before they go on spring break in 'Meant to Be'. But then they have another test in this episode. What the hell? You would think that they would have finished everything before they went on spring break, now wouldn't you?_

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen – Witch Trap**

Spring break was over and everyone was excited to be sitting on the downhill side of the school year and Brandon was waiting in a diner in Magix to celebrate the best way he could think possible; a date with Bloom. It wasn't a proper date like Brandon always imagined with flowers and candy, but least it was better than 'a walk'. It was sitting down, just the two of them, having ice cream.

However, one look at Bloom's face when she arrived told Brandon that the fairy was not as thrilled to be back at school during their final semester as he was. She had hardly said a word to him while they waited for their order and even when it arrived she didn't seem too hungry.

Finally, curiosity got the better of him and he had to ask, "What's wrong, Bloom?"

"We had a start of semester test today and I messed up," she said in a disappointed tone of voice.

"You wonna talk about it?" Brandon asked delicately as she moodily pushed her ice cream in front of her with her with her spoon. Bloom didn't respond. "It can't be that bad."

"Can't be that bad?" Bloom repeated, looking up at him for the first time since the waitress had brought their ice creams to them. "I almost had it but then I blew it. I got hit by the damn obstacles and I was literally just inches away. It so wasn't fair."

"Just calm down," Brandon suggested, a little taken back with her morbid outburst. "What happened?"

"My winx failed me."

Now Brandon didn't know that much about how winx and magic worked, but it didn't think it went quiet like that. "What?"

"I was that close but I couldn't summon my power," Bloom told him glumly, making Brandon's heart break to see her so down.

"Hey, don't get so bummed out about it. It's okay. It's just a test."

"I know. It's just my powers are so frustrating."

"But Bloom, you're power's awesome. Come on," Brandon reminded her. With the type of magic he had seen her throw around back when they were having the showdown in down town Magix that Wednesday afternoon, he couldn't understand how she couldn't just fly through those tests and he didn't mean just literally.

"Thing is I can't control it. Sometimes it's like I can't connect to it at all," Bloom confessed, her mood and her eyes still down.

"Maybe it's just cause its new?"

Bloom _hmm_ed but didn't looked convinced. Instead, Brandon could almost see that she had come up with some plan to help get rid of her doubts. "I was thinking. If I could figure out where my power came from then I may be able to finally understand how it works."

Brandon could see the logic in her thinking, and he was pretty sure she had already figured out a place to start. "Good point. Ah, hey, you know I could help you look."

"But the only place I know where to look is at Cloud Tower but that's way too dangerous."

"What's at Cloud Tower?"

"Oh right, you don't know. See, when we snuck into the Trix's dorm to get back the Ring of Solaria they stole off Stella, we went into the book chamber and there lying out in the open was a book on me," Bloom explained.

"A book on you?" Brandon repeated. Okay, why would a school have an entire book dedicated to a fairy from another school? That was just a bit creepy.

"Yeah, they must have one for every fairy at Alfea."

"Why?"

"They're witches, Brandon, just you're imagination."

"I guess you got a point," Brandon nodded. "And you think this book holds the answers?"

"I don't know. Maybe? I don't understand any of this. But we can't go to Cloud Tower so we may as well drop this and talk about something else. Kay?"

"Yeah sure," Brandon smiled, but he knew Blooms mind remained fixed of the enigma that was her powers, and Brandon knew there was only one way to solve it; go to Cloud Tower.

* * *

"You want to do what?" Timmy exclaimed, his eyes wide behind his glasses.

"I want to sneak into Cloud Tower with Bloom so we can try and find the book they have on her in their book chamber," Brandon repeated calmly, putting down the map of Cloud Tower he was looking over. "You can help me get in, right?"

"I dunno Brandon," Timmy confessed, looking at the maps in front of him. "The witches don't exactly make their school very visitor friendly, if you get my drift."

"Come on, Timmy. The girls managed to do it when they went and got Stella's ring back with no real problem."

"Brandon, the girls nearly got barbequed in there, not to mention the witches let loose a Minotaur in their school in retaliation," Sky pointed out from his place lounging on his bed. "You've already managed to convince Codatorta to let you keep Lady, but I don't think you'll have much luck in getting him to agree to letting you keep a Minotaur or whatever beastie they unleash upon you."

"I've got to try," Brandon said stubbornly from the floor where he and Timmy were sitting with the maps. "I mean, we're heroes and heroes are supposed to be able to storm castles."

"Cloud Tower surrounded by a magical electric fence, Brandon," Timmy told the blonde, highlighting the fact that no matter how good a hero is, there is only so much he can do against magic.

Brandon sighed. "Okay, is there anyway to get through it?"

Timmy pointed at map. "I think I could map out a path so you could get in."

"Awesome!" Brandon exclaimed. Trust good old Timmy to come through with a plan. "So I can go in tonight, right?"

"You might not want to go tonight. It's a full moon," Sky told him, getting up from his bed. He wasn't too keen on the idea of his best friend and his girlfriend's best friend storming the witch's castle alone, but he knew Brandon was going to go through with it anyway. "Witches are particularly strong during a full moon. Their powers can some times double in strength."

Brandon got to his feet and moved over to put a reassuring hand on the prince's shoulder. "I know, but Bloom was seriously upset today. She needs this."

Reluctantly, Sky agreed, though deep down he knew he was toast is anything happened to the blonde. But, ah, the things you do for your lovesick friends. "Alright, just be extra careful. It's risky."

"Hey, how fast exactly can your levi bike go?" Timmy asked Brandon.

"It's got turbo boosters on it, so virtually as fast as I can handle. Why?"

"Because the magical electric fence acts as a force field much like the one surrounding this whole realm to keep non magical beings out though not as strong. You could use your bike you ride across it, picking up the momentum which would normally throw you off until you find the point of vulnerability," Timmy explained.

"Which is?" Brandon asked, grasping the idea slightly.

"The fulcrum of the force field which should be right below the place that has the highest voltage," Timmy said. "If you have enough speed and forward momentum you should be able to break through. But if you stop moving you could either get throw off or your engine could go dead in mid air."

"Keep moving. Got it," Brandon nodded.

"But what are you going to do once you get inside?" Sky questioned, not willing to let them walk into a situation with some half baked idea. "You can't just wonder around in there till you find what you're looking for. It's too dangerous, and I'm not just talking about the Trix and Miss Griffin. There are other witches there too you know, and their all armed to the teeth in dark magic. Who knows what they'll do if they stumble across you two."

"Leave that to me," Timmy assured, moving over to his work desk and removing a small little gadget the other guys had seen him working on for the last few months. "I just finished it a few days ago so I haven't given it a proper test run, but I'm certain it works."

"What is it?" Sky asked as Timmy handed his invention to Brandon.

"I call it a witch tracker," Timmy said somewhat proudly. "After all the times the Trix have snuck up on us this year, I figured it would be best to have a little bit of a warning. It's a bit like the monitors we have on the ship, only in just detects dark magic and those carrying. Any witch or anything they conjure will show up if they're within a hundred yards. Pretty cool huh?"

"Pretty cool? It's a stroke of brilliance!" Brandon grinned.

"I can upload a map into it if you want, but I may no be very reliable. The halls of Cloud Tower tend to move around a bit, and it would be able to show you any secret passageways."

"That's a shame. Knowing a few hidden pathways wouldn't go astray," Sky noted.

"You could always ask Riven if you really wanted to," Timmy suggested lightly, unaware that Riven had already reported their plans to the Trix and was heading to their dorm at that very moment at Darcy's calling. "He's bound to know a couple of back passageways."

"No," Brandon answered firmly. "The witches can't know that we're coming. Knowing them they'll probably sabotage it."

"It was just a suggestion," Timmy stated, and decided to wait a bit longer before trying to patch things up between his friends. Brandon and Sky might be fine with just ignoring Riven, but Timmy couldn't do that so easily. He had grown up with two older sisters that had already graduated, so he had always view his friends as the bothers he had always wanted growing up when his sisters tried to dress him in girls clothes. (1) He couldn't just turn his back on Riven just because they didn't agree with the way he was acting recently.

And Timmy had concluded that there was nothing worse than just standing by and watching a friend you care about slowly destroy them selves. (2) Riven was drinking and smoking heavily, Timmy knew that, but he also knew there was probably a lot that more that Riven got up to the he wasn't aware of. He was out virtually every night till some ungodly hour, and the lack of sleep was starting to show in his face. And on top of all that, Timmy had noticed the Riven wasn't eating or skipping meals all together, something his body couldn't afford to do after all the malnutrition he went through as a child.

Riven was just a few steps away from a physical breakdown, and there was nothing Timmy could do. Timmy didn't even think Riven or Brandon or Sky even cared, and that made it all the more difficult on the boy genius.

Why couldn't thing just go back to the way they were?

* * *

Brandon crept quietly into the grounds of Alfea, driving his bike slowly to avoid making too much noise. He knew the teachers here tried to discourage their students sneaking off with boys after lights out, but Brandon knew he had to do this. Which is why he didn't hesitate reaching over and tapping on the glass doors of the balcony to Blooms room. She must have been awake, because a second later she made her way outside cautiously.

"Er, hello?"

Brandon quietly levitated his bike higher so she could see him properly at her calling and he could help but break out into a huge grin. She looked adorable in her pajamas. "Hey I hope you didn't have any big plans for tonight."

"Oh, I dunno. Would you say that counting sheep's a big plan?" she teased, giving him a small wave. She didn't seem to upset about his late night visit and Brandon stored that bit of information away for another time. But right now, they had a castle that needed storming.

"Are you kidding? Hop on," he told her, gesturing to the back of his bike. "Let's go"

"Where?"

"Cloud Tower," Brandon answered, and her saw her eyes widen in the full moonlight. "You wanted to get into the book chamber so I figured out a way to sneak inside. While the witches sleep we can get a look at your book."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Anything to make you happy," Brandon told her honestly, and he was rewarded with one of her shinning smiles.

"Thanks Brandon. I guess I really owe you. Just hang on a sec. I'll just get dressed. I won't be long!"

True to her word, a few minutes later both Bloom and Brandon where on their way to Cloud Tower. Not wasting any time, Brandon took the fast possible rout he knew which involved them going over Lake Crysalous and through the enchanted forest towards the dark tower. As Brandon raced through the undergrowth he caught a glance of a levi bike parked next to an old tree out of the corner of his eyes.

'I bet that's Riven,' Brandon though to himself as he shot by it. 'There must be a portal there or something. Well, if Timmy's plan doesn't work, we can go check it out. At least Riven will be of use for once.'

Breaking out of his thoughts, Brandon focused on the castle looming before him as he entered the school grounds. He could feel the magical electric fence pulling slightly against him as he moved closer to the tower, and his engines power dropped a fraction as the dark magic infected them.

"It's right up ahead Bloom, hold on," Brandon ordered, pushing his bike as hard as he could. The shield pull was much stronger now, and Brandon used that the move high in the sky about the school. But he was so focused on looking for the correct place to try and penetrate the shield that he forgot about Timmy's warning not to stop. "We have to find the point of vulnerability; the fulcrum of the force field. It's the only way to get through it. Now it should be right below the place that has the highest voltage."

Both Brandon and Bloom removed their helmets to get a better look as they hovered far about the ground. It was then, just as the lightning crackled around them, did Brandon realize his mistake.

'Oh no!'

"Ah!" Bloom screamed as the bike was struck by the dark lightning that was emanating for Cloud Tower. "Watch out!"

Frantically, Brandon grabbed hold of the bike and managed to steady it, but Bloom still clung to him tightly. Unfortunately, both had dropped their helmets, but at least they weren't falling with them.

"Whoa. That was close," Brandon gasped, his hands trembling slightly as he watched his helmet hurl towards the ground.

"If it's a fulcrum maybe it's in the centre and low down," Bloom suggested.

"Alright. Low and centre here we go. Hold tight!" he told her as he let the bike drop down. He could feel the shield resistance to him, but they had picked up enough speed in the decent that they managed to break through. With a certain level or relief, Brandon landed heavily on one of the ramps leading into Cloud Tower.

"It's working!" Bloom exclaimed with undisguised relief and she loosened her arms a bit from around Brandon's waist so he was able to breathe again. No sooner had she relaxed her hold then Cloud Tower let out one final attack, draining Brandon's bike's power causing him to loose control.

"Ah! I'm losing power!" Brandon cried, desperately trying to swerve his bike, but he wasn't able to stop them as the bike drove off ramp to crash down on a ramp below them, sending both of them flying. Brandon landed painfully on his back, knocking the wind out of him. Bloom landed on her stomach near the edge of them ramp. As Brandon got to his feet, he saw her look over the edge before freaking out and jumping back a bit.

"Whoa!" she gasped.

"Bloom!" Brandon said, instantly rushing to her side. "Are you okay?"

Frighten and shaken, Bloom couldn't respond properly. "Huh?"

Seeing she wasn't hurt, just a little freak, Brandon let out a sigh of relief. That could have ended badly. "We made it."

"Ah yeah," Bloom agreed in a trembling voice. "Good job there. Nice moves."

"Come on, let's do this," Brandon told her, offering her his hand. Still shaking, Bloom accepted his help, and the pair cautiously headed into the dark and uninviting Cloud Tower.

* * *

"Aren't you going to stay the night?"

Riven ignored the question Darcy had put to him until he had finish pulling up his pants. "Not tonight. I need sleep."

"You can get it here," Darcy told him from her place lounging on her bed. She was dressed only in her black lace underwear, a lit cigarette in her hand. He golden eyes followed Riven like a hawk as he got changed and it was making Riven feel uncomfortable.

"You know that's not true."

"All the more reason to stay," she purred, stubbing out her cigarette in the ash tray by her bed. They were alone in her dorm and she was feeling very affectionate. Moving across her bed, she positioned herself behind where Riven sat as he pulled his shoes on and wrapped her arms around his still bare chest. With a moan she kissed the back of his neck, occasionally nipping him with her teeth playfully.

But Riven wasn't in the mood.

"Would you not?" he snarled, shaking her off him. He turned to glare at her, ignoring the pout she gave him for pushing her off. "What's with you recently?"

"I just want to play, puppy dog," she told him in a childlike voice.

"Well I don't."

"You didn't seem to mind a few minutes ago."

Riven let out a frustrated sigh. "I just can't deal with this right now."

"Oh, what's wrong with my little puppy dog," Darcy teased with a patronizing little pout that made Riven's blood boil. She had been doing that to him a lot recently. It seemed every time they saw each other they'd find something to argue about up until the stage where it was almost a daily soap opera for the witches at Cloud Tower to see the two lovers rip into each other. They'd argue over fickle things they didn't even care about and call each other things you should never refer to your partner as, but every fight would end up the same way; in bed.

Riven wasn't happy with Darcy, he knew that, but he couldn't just walk away from her. It was only while they were fight or when they were making up afterwards did he feel any kind or emotion and he was willing to go through everything for the chance to feel real. Deep down he knew he hated everything about Darcy, but he was still connected to her. He didn't think she'd let him leave even if he tried.

"Forget it," Riven hissed, getting up and snatching his shirt off the ground.

"Oh Riven," Darcy sighed, climbing off her bed to chase after him. "What's wrong?"

"You're such a bitch."

"Did you have me confused with someone else?" Darcy laughed callously, but she stopped when she saw that her lover wasn't amused by her jokes. "Well what do you expect me to be? Like the rest of those tricks your friends date?" There was a slight pause as Riven refused to answer, but Darcy slowly reached the answer on her own. "Oh my darkness, you do want me to be like them, don't you?"

"I don't need this," Riven spat, pulling his shirt on and grabbing the keys to his bike. He didn't want her to be more like his ex friends girlfriends; he just didn't want her to be her. He knew who he really wanted even without Dominique's crystal pointing it out to him. And unfortunately he had blown that in order to be with Darcy who he could not longer stand to be around. He'd see her to feed his desires, but that was as far as it went. Darcy, however, as of recently seemed to have other ideas.

"Riven wait," she begged, wrapping her arms around him from behind, stopping him from heading into the portal that would take him to the edge of the school grounds where he had parked his bike. Almost tenderly, she kissed his back. "My dear puppy dog, did I not promise you everything you ever wanted? The fame? The recognition? Anything you desire? Don't you remember?"

"Yeah," Riven sighed, turning to face her. Darcy instantly buried her way into his arms and looked up at him impishly, making Riven's lips form a ghost of a smile. She did know how to be cute and appealing when she wanted to be. Riven wrapped his arms around her slim frame and stared down at her.

"And I plan to keep that promise," she told him sweetly, and Riven thought he felt the air shift in the way it always did when someone was getting ready to use magic. "So, if you want me to be more like the Jinx Club, fine. The only question is; which one?"

Riven's eyes widened as the Darcy in his arms shimmered slightly, and the next thing he knew, he was staring into the honey gold eyes of Stella. The Princess of Solaria looked up at him with a hungry look that Darcy directed at him so often and dressed in nothing but Darcy's underwear. Confused and somewhat repulsed – It was Stella! _Stella! – _Riven released her from his hold and took a step backwards until he felt his back hit the wall.

"Whoa . . . What . . ?" Riven stammered, his eyes wide. 'Stella', let out a wicked laugh and flicked her long, golden hair over her shoulder.

"I told you I would give you anything you want," Darcy told him in her normal voice, though she didn't change her appearance back. But when she spoke next, her voice was identical to that of the Princess of the Sun and the Moon. "And you wanted me to be more like those losers; _valla_! I'm pretty good aren't I?"

"That's twisted," Riven told her and Darcy morphed the illusion to looked like Flora.

"Well, then you're just a naught boy, now aren't you," Darcy asked in Flora's body and voice, but the words and tone wouldn't have been further than from the flower fairy.

"Darcy!" Riven snapped, as the illusion shifted again. "This is sick!"

"Stop being such a wet blanket," 'Tecna' ordered him before shifting into 'Bloom'. The red head closed the distance between the two, pressing her half naked body up against his. "What do you want?"

"I want you to stop this."

"What do you really want?" Darcy asked, shifting into the final member of the Winx Club and the member Riven had been dreading. His heart pounded in his chest as 'Musa' looked up at him with those deep navy eyes and he found him self wishing with all he being that this was true, that Musa really was embracing him with her slender arms, and not some sick mind game of Darcy. "Wonna have some fun?"

Riven's will crumbled in the face of temptation and he let Darcy kiss him roughly. He knew it wasn't real, that Darcy wasn't really the fairy he wanted, but he couldn't seem to stop the attraction what overwhelmed him. His right hand traced the outline of her body while his left hand explored her dark hair, giving him a thrill he had never experienced with Darcy before.

Darcy continued to kiss him passionately, but pulled him towards her bed and he came without a fight. She dragged him down on top of her, moving her hands towards his pants line as he continued to explore her flesh with his mouth. He had never experience a high quite like this one, and it was making him lightheaded as he started to ravish her. He just wanted her so bad it almost hurt.

"Careful, you'll make a girl jealous," Darcy told him in her normal voice, bringing him back to his senses. This wasn't real. This was sick. Reeling in self disgust, Riven broke the kiss with Darcy and climbed off her with the same speed he would have used if he had found himself in bed with a certain princess of Solaria.

"This isn't right."

"Oh Riven," Darcy pouted in Musa's voice, biting down on one of her fingers. "Stay and play."

"You're sick," Riven told her, so disgusted that he headed for the door instead of to the portal that would take him directly to his bike. He just needed to get out of that room and away from her and tricks. He got out without much of a fight, but he didn't miss the final words Darcy shouted at him as he left.

"I'm not the one who got turned on by an illusion!"

_Slam!!!_

Riven stood on the other side of the door, trembling in horror at what he had just done. That whole situation was twisted beyond belief. He didn't know exactly where, but it definitely fell under the perverted category. He was so messed up.

"What is wrong with me?" Riven said softly to himself in a shaking voice.

Wrapping his arms around himself, Riven headed off in the direction of the entrance to the school after quickly checking with Dominique's crystal. At least the walk would give him some time to think. He wasn't aware that at that very second, somewhere in the castle, Bloom and Brandon were looking for the book chamber.

He had just turned down a new corridor when the buzzing that had been ringing in his ear suddenly blared at full force, and this time he was able to make out all the words.

"_When the screams of a thousand years are finally heard and the terror of the night erases day. When the moons up above are consumed by shadow then the flames down below will cause doom to rain and the creatures of the night will rise once again."_

"What?" Riven said aloud as the voice started to whisper again, wrapping over itself so that merged and over lapped. Riven looked around him, trying to find the source of the sound since he refused to accept that his was just hearing voices in his head. "Is anyone there?"

"_When the screams of a thousand years are finally heard and the terror of the night erases day. When the moons up above are consumed by shadow then the flames down below will cause doom to rain and the creatures of the night will rise once again."_

"Hello?"

"_When the screams of a thousand years are finally heard and the terror of the night erases day. When the moons up above are consumed by shadow then the flames down below will cause doom to rain and the creatures of the night will rise once again."_

"Just stop it!" Riven shouted, loosing all patience with his mystery voice, but it just kept going, repeating the same thing over and over again.

"Do you always talk to yourself?" a voice asked him, shuttering Riven's focus on the on the whispered and in doing so, shuttering them in mid sentence.

"Huh?" Riven asked, looking about him. The voices had stopped and standing in front of him was Dominique, once again dressed in pajamas and her tiny little shorts. "Don't you sleep?

"What were you talking too?" she asked, ignoring his question, her sea grey eyes shifting from his face to the empty corridor. Riven swallowed hard in embarrassment.

"Nothin'."

Dominique's eyes narrow slightly. "Weirdo."

And in a flash she was gone. Shaking his head, Riven continued on his way. He needed to get out of this tower and away from these damn witches. But the sad thing was he knew that the next time Darcy called him or he felt a bit toey, he'd be back without hesitation.

* * *

Brandon had a vague idea of where they were going, but he couldn't be certain. All the corridors looked them same and he had a feeling that the walls were moving around him making it impossible for him to remember which way they had come.

"What happens if we run into someone?" Bloom asked, trailing after him. She had recovered from her scare on the edge of Cloud Tower, but she was still on unfamiliar grounds.

"Don't worry about it," Brandon assured her, digging through his pocket and pulling out the device Timmy had given him. Activating it, Brandon saw that there were no witches in the area.

"What is that?"

"Timmy's newest invention. It's a witch tracker. It maps the movement of any witch within a hundred yards," Brandon explained, studying the tracker. "Everyone's sleeping. As long as we're quiet we should be fine."

There was a slight pause as Timmy's invention picked up a witch in the area, but it was gone so fast that Brandon simply dismissed it as a glitch. But other than that, they managed to find the book chamber with no dramas.

"This is it, the book chamber," Bloom said, wasting no time to push open the huge wooden door that stood between them and the book they sought. Cautiously, the pair made their way into the chamber. "When we were here, my book was out like it was waiting for me."

They didn't have to search very long before Brandon came across a book that was glowing slightly through the dark and written all across its pages was Blooms name.

"Hey, looks like it still is," Brandon told her, flipping through the pages, and he was amazed at the size of the book. He heard Bloom joining him from behind. "You're only a freshman and look how big your book is. You must have a seriously awesome life story."

"I guess," Bloom shrugged, reaching out to touch the book. "I wish the only copy didn't have to be a Cloud Tower."

"Try asking it something," Brandon suggested. Bloom looked at him for a second as if looking for reassurance, and then turned to face the book in front of her.

"Where do my powers come from?"

Both Brandon and Bloom gasped as the book suddenly lit up, blinding Brandon with a painful white light. For a few seconds, he watched Bloom stare into the light, as if listening to something he couldn't hear. And after a moment, she turned at stared at Brandon, her eyes wide and frightened.

"Oh no."

Brandon instantly moved closer to her, trying to offer her some comfort. Whatever that book had told her, it clearly wasn't good. "What's the matter? What did it tell you?"

"I … I …" Bloom stuttered, her eyes filling with tears. As they overflowed, she turned away, as if ashamed for him to see her face. "I don't think you want to hear it. It's too horrible."

Brandon reached out and put his hand on hers. If she needed him, he was going to be there for her. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"Okay," Bloom nodded. "According to this book, I'm not really a fairy – I'm a witch!"

Brandon's mind when numb at her words, and he unconsciously took his hand way from hers. A witch? That wasn't possible. It just wasn't possible. She could be a witch. Everything about her was about as far from being dark as you could possibly imagine. She can't be a witch. His parents would _never_ let him be with a witch, regardless of how much he liked her.

"A witch? No way, it can't be!" Brandon gasped, his mind reeling. He couldn't stop himself from stepping away from her. It just couldn't be. "That's impossible."

"I know. I'm confused. What does this mean?" Bloom asked, but Brandon was too caught up in his own thoughts to answer. He knew his parents wouldn't be thrilled when he told them he was having feeling for someone besides his betrothed, and they would never let him be with a witch. Brandon knew they were going to insist he not see her just because her powers were dark. That didn't make her evil, but Brandon knew he could never convince his parents that. Knowing he could never stand up to his father, Brandon dropped his head and sighed, an action that Bloom mistakenly interpreted as rejection. "Brandon? Listen, if my powers are evil, I won't use them anymore."

Still lost in his dark thoughts about the position he was in, Brandon watched her turn her back on him. Confused, Brandon made a move to comfort her, but Bloom stopped him.

"Just go, okay. I need to be alone," Bloom told him, her voice deeply hurt. But when he refused to leave, that hurt was added by a fraction of anger. "_Please_. I need to think about this."

"But . . ."

"Just go."

"Come on Bloom," Brandon tried to reason with her. "I mean, how will you get home?"

"I'll walk."

"You can't walk all the way home alone."

"I'll be fine."

"Bloom!"

"Just go! I need to be alone!" Bloom ordered, her voice cold and upset. But then she dropped her head and burst into fresh tears. "Please Brandon. Just leave me alone."

Brandon was hesitant to leave her like this when she was so emotionally distraught, but her tone left him no room to argue. Reluctantly, Brandon turned and left the book chamber. Behind him, he could hear Bloom crying.

* * *

_(1) I know a guy who had that done to him by his sisters. The thought still makes me smile_

_(2) So true, I know this from experience_

_I always thought it was weird that Sky left her like that. He's meant to be a hero and look after people, isn't he? And it was his idea to break into Cloud Tower in the first place. He should have stuck with her, especially on unfriendly territory. Bloody males. _

_TBC_


	15. Pushing the Envelope

_One thing I want to point out because i really show in this chapter is the difference between American spelling and Australian spelling. The big thing we do is put a lot of u's in our words, so color becomes colour and, espically in this chapter, armor or armory becomes armour and armoury. Also it's spelt sabre for me but saber for a lot of other people. All throughout this chapter I flip between my native spelling and what the spell check tells be and I can't be bother to pick a side and go with it. _

_God language is a bitch. _

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Fifteen – Pushing the Envelope **

"Dude, what's with you recently?" Sky asked Brandon as the sophomores made their way from fight class with Codatorta to battle strategies with Javelin. Brandon, who was normally a diligent student, seemed unable to concentrate that period causing him to make novice mistakes he hadn't made since the beginning of freshmen year.

"I dunno. Just can't focus for some reason I guess," Brandon shrugged, knowing full well what the reason was. He still couldn't get over what had happened a few days ago with Bloom. He knew he shouldn't have left her like that, regardless of how much she wanted to be alone. He should have given her a lift back to Alfea and then left her to her solitude. Brandon had called the Winx Club and told Tecna about how Bloom insisted she walk home alone, but he should have never let it get to that stage in the first place. It was his duty to serve and protect, not leave and abandon. Even Stella's message informing him that they had found her did little to lift his mood.

He had messed up royally. It was all his idea to go to Cloud Tower. If it wasn't for him, Bloom wouldn't have found out the awful truth. In one attempt to make her feel better, Brandon had single-handily ruined her life. He hadn't been able to sleep the last few nights due to the fact that Bloom's voice kept running through his mind endlessly.

_According to this book, I'm not really a fairy – I'm a witch!_

Brandon still believed that it was impossible. Bloom was a fairy, he knew it. She didn't have a trace of witch blood, let alone belong to a coven of evil witches. Bloom didn't have a malicious bone in her body. There was no way she could be a witch. She was sweet, caring and loving, not cruel, callous and hatful. It was just impossible.

But every time Brandon thought about his reaction to her confession, he felt his stomach twist into sick knots of self disgust. How could he have been stupid? In the moment when she needed his support and understanding more than ever, he had been too involved with his own thoughts and shock to see how badly she needed someone strong to help her. His weakness made him look like he was rejecting her and Brandon felt sick to his stomach because of it. He didn't mean to appear so turned off by her new found status, he was just shocked. Unfortunately, that was a situation that didn't allow time to be shocked. He should have acted faster to comfort her and tell her that it didn't change a thing so he could rethink the situation more clearly and thoroughly at a later time. But his delay caused her more pain instead. He was so ashamed and he didn't know how he was ever going to face Bloom again. She had called him yesterday and left him a message on his voice mail, but he hadn't returned the call. He didn't know what to say to her.

Javelins lesson washed over unhearing ears as Brandon continued to sift through his dark thoughts, but he wasn't the only one in class not paying attention. The voices in Riven's had increased in volume over the last few days and their regularity did nothing to remove the intensity of them. Javelins words were drowned out by the same chant being said over and over again.

"_When the screams of a thousand years are finally heard and the terror of the night erases day. When the moons up above are consumed by shadow then the flames down below will cause doom to rain and the creatures of the night will rise once again."_

Riven still had no idea what those words meant, but they were starting to annoy the living daylights out of him. He had no clue where they were coming from. He never recalled seeing a 'Smoking May Cause You to Trip Out' on the warnings they put on cigarette packets. It just didn't make any sense. How could he be hearing something like that? He wasn't crazy, but these voices were pushing him over the edge. He wasn't eating and he was on virtually no sleep because of the hallucinations and Darcy's demands, but even that didn't answer why this was happening. It just didn't make –

_Slam!!!_

After failing to get his students attention for the fifth time, Javelin had calmly retrieved a heavy volume from the collection of books he had with him on his desk and slammed it as hard as he could on the desk of his daydreaming student with an almost deafening bang. (1) Riven jumped out of his thoughts and almost out of him skin to find the entire class sniggering at him and Javelin standing directly in front of him.

"Awake now are we?" Javelin asked in a composed tone. Riven didn't answer, but he did look a bit bashful after being humiliated in front of his class like that. "Are you going to pay attention now?"

Riven was still shaking slightly from the fright and the aftermath of the hallucination, so he honestly shook his head no. "No sir."

"Saladin's office," Javelin ordered with a soft disappointed sigh, pointing towards the door. Leaving his belonging behind, Riven wordlessly got to his feet and left. Javelin continued to watch him leave for a moment, even after he had lost sight of Riven, before sighing again. "If he doesn't straighten up, he won't have a place here next year. Shame, he had so much potential. Now Jared, can you please read the first paragraph of chapter five aloud."

* * *

"I'm starving. What's on the menu for lunch today? Actually, don't even answer that. I'm so hungry I'd eat dirt if they gave it to me," Sky said as they exited battle strategies into the crowded corridors. Timmy had gone off to get rid of some of his notes before lunch, so it was just Brandon and Sky. 

"Well, knowing Jacob, it would be the best dirt you could get," Brandon sighed, still depressed over this drama he was having with Bloom. "Hey, I might catch up with you later, kay?"

"You alright, bro?" Sky asked, looking at his best friends with undisguised concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I just need some air is all."

"That's cool. I'll come find you later but right now; to lunch!" Sky grinned, marching off like a general on his way to war. Shaking his head with a slight laugh, Brandon headed outside to the battlements that over looked the enchanted forest toward Alfea. Wrapping his arms about him to try and ward off the chill of the wind, Brandon sighed deeply and returned to his brooding thoughts.

'Maybe I should call Bloom back,' Brandon thought to himself. 'I mean, even if she is a witch that doesn't change anything. She's still the same girl. Nothing can change that.'

'But do you really want to be with a witch?' another part of him asked.

'She's not like those other witches. She's sweet and caring. It's not like she carries on like Icy, Darcy or Stormy. She's still part of the Winx Club, and that means something now doesn't it?' the first part of him argued

'She's not a member of the Winx Club anymore. She's not a fairy. She doesn't have any winx!'

'Then how the hell can she transform?!'

'Witches can change their appearance at will!'

'You can't prove that!'

'You can't _not_ prove it either!'

Brandon groaned and rubbed his temples. Arguing with your self got you nothing but a headache, he concluded. But he did realize he did have a point; if she didn't have winx, how could she transform? He knew that witches could create illusions and hallucinations, but he didn't think someone could do it subconsciously to themselves, especially since Bloom had no teaching in that particular field. She had only just started to study magic, be it dark or otherwise. But then why did the book tell her she was a witch?

Brandon was still struggling with that question when the smell of cigarette smoke reached his nostrils, making his stomach churn slightly. Looking around him, Brandon saw that there was no other person on the same level of the battlements as him, until he looked up and saw Riven calmly perch on the roof. He had a half finished smoke in his fingers and he was watching Brandon with his cold violet eyes that Brandon had come to hate. Before he hooked up with Darcy, Riven's eyes seemed to burn with intense emotion, but now they were as dead as snakes' eyes and it was amazing how the smallest change altered his face. Like the time when Sky got kicked in the face and got a swollen nose, that slight changed was enough to make him look like a total stranger.

"How long have you been sitting there?" Brandon demanded, his tone defensive.

"Since before you arrived," Riven answered indifferently before taking a drag of his cigarette.

"I thought you were supposed to go see Saladin."

"Wasn't in the mood," Riven shrugged.

"I don't think they give a damn how you feel," Brandon said. Riven shrugged again and took another drag of his cancer stick. "Gods, you're such an ass. They're gonna kick you out soon, you' know that?"

"You lookin' out for my education, now are ya?" Riven grinned mockingly.

"Hardly, I'm just stating a fact," Brandon said, folding his arms across his chest. "It would probably be better if you got kicked out."

"Careful squire, I might just take that to be an insult."

"Good, it was meant to be. You give Red Fountain a bad name. You're just a waste of space here," Brandon spat. Riven barked a laugh, before pushing himself off the edge of the roof to land soundlessly on the ground below with all the grace of a cat.

"Is that supposed to be a challenge?" Riven asked, taking a drag and blowing the smoke out of his nostrils, making him resemble a dragon. "If you got something to say, squire, say it on the battlefield."

"I don't have to prove anything to you," Brandon snarled as Riven lifted his smoke to his lips again. All this cigarette smoke was making Brandon feel a little ill, but he wasn't about the let Riven know that.

Riven grinned wickedly, laughing out his smoke through clenched teeth. "What's the matter? Scared?"

"By you? Not likely."

"Then come on, man, let's go. You and me. Right now."

"There's no fighting allowed outside of fight or combat class," Brandon pointed out coldly, which only made Riven laugh more.

"Same old Brandon; still scared to break the rules. And why do you think they come up with them? Rules were made to be broken, Brandon," Riven told the blonde, taking one final drag before dropping the butt to the ground and crushing under his heel. "Coward."

Brandon's eyes stung and Riven blew the smoke directly in his face and that, along with everything else that had been dumping on Brandon recently, was enough to send Brandon into a rage.

"You're on," Brandon hissed, giving Riven a rough shove backwards. It wasn't hard enough to really do anything, but it was enough to force Riven to take a step backwards in order to maintain his balance.

"Well, blondie's got some bite after all," Riven said with an amusement he didn't feel. "Fine. I'll see you at the battle plateaus in five minutes. That is, if you don't wuss out."

* * *

_Bang!!!_

"Shit!" Timmy hissed, dropping all the notes he had in his hands to the ground in order to rub his shine where it had just collided with his desk chair. "Oh, gods! Oww!"

When the pain had subsided slightly, Timmy put his foot on the chair that had done the damage and viewed the carnage. That was going to bruise, that was for sure.

"This is not may day," Timmy groaned to himself, running a hand through his orangey blonde hair. He had woken up this morning to Lady licking his face and then he had come across a half eaten sandwich that belonged to Sky while searching for clean socks. Timmy normally wouldn't have a problem with his roommates leaving food in there door, except this sandwich looked like it had been sitting there for most of the school year. Now he had a bruised leg and all his notes littering his dorm floor.

That normally wouldn't be so bad, except after accepting a request from Javelin, Timmy had agreed to return the notes Riven had left behind to Riven's room. So now, not only were Timmy's notes all over the floor, they were also mingled with Riven's.

"Well, that's just perfect," Timmy sighed, getting to his hands and knees and beginning to sort the papers. Luckily for Timmy, Riven was not the most dutiful student at Red Fountain, so he had considerable less notes than Timmy had. Virtually all of Riven's notes just covered the date and the title of the lesson with the rest of the page left blank or covered with mindless doodling. But there was always a consistent lack of work in Riven's notes.

And the piece of paper Timmy can across was no different. It was dated and headed with the title 'Survival in an Artic Environment' – a topic they had covered over two months ago – and there were no traces of actual work beyond that. Except for one tiny bit of writing written at the base of the page in Riven's untidy which handwriting read;

_When the screams of a thousand years are finally heard and the terror of the night erases day. When the moons up above are consumed by shadow then the flames down below will cause doom to rain and the creatures of the night will rise once again._

"What the . . ?" Timmy said to himself, rereading the verse. Something about that just didn't seem right. Riven wasn't the kind of guy to randomly write poetry, making Timmy very suspicious. After a seconds hesitation, Timmy slipped Riven's paper in with his owns, finished sorting the papers and placing his notes on his desk before leaving for lunch.

* * *

Due to Red Fountain's stern policy on the use of weapons outside of combat class, students were denied the right to carry weapons on the school grounds outside of class. Many of the boys carried they weapons outside of the school ground such as the Magix, but they were required to leave their weapons in their dorms or in the armoury when not under supervised training. Any violation of this rule was punished severely, resulting in one student being expelled from the School for Heroics and Bravery, as the urban legend goes. So it was not a rule any Red Fountain student broke lightly. 

Which is why Brandon felt extremely on edge when he met Riven at the battle plateaus. Both boys followed the rules far enough to have left their weapons in their lockers after fight class that morning, and now that they were armed they were ready to look past the rules and have it out. Brandon had had a gut full of Riven's and his attitude and Riven was so far into his self destruction mode to even contemplate what might happen if they were caught. Brandon, being the model student that he was would probably get a slap on the back of the hand with a ruler, but Riven's very existence at Red Fountain could be at stake, not that he cared. He didn't care about anything these days.

"You realize, Brandon, they're going to have to scrap you off the wall with a squeegee when I'm done with you," Riven threatened, his sabre held out in front of him, ready for any attack Brandon might direct his way.

Brandon, however, wasn't impressed by Riven's tough guy act, and he showed it with is indifferent approach to the whole fight. "Whatever, witch boy."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ever since you started going out with Darcy you've been acting like a real jerk."

Riven's eye narrowed dangerously, but he was more irritated because he knew Brandon was right then because he had just been insulted. His emotionless state still plagued him, forcing him to push the envelope to try and do something so despicable that he would finally feel something. Shame, self loathing, regret; anything! His anxiety over his emotional numbness doubled with his distress the hallucinations were forcing Riven to become much more reckless and paranoid.

"Let's just do this," Riven growled, dropping the point of his sabre and charging forward. He expected Brandon to take the safer option and met Riven's offensive attack with a defensive one, so he was a bit surprised to see Brandon move into an offensive attack of his own. But Riven didn't let it slow him down. Both boys pushed off hard from the stone plateau below them and connected their blades in the air. The two phantom blades strained against one another, but both were two well deflected so the two fighter continued past one another without hitting a mark.

As Riven landed, he felt his right leg buck underneath itself and the left quickly followed, ending with Riven falling to his knees, who instantly knew he had pushed his leg too far and had ripped out his stitches for the third time since receiving the deep cut. Normally a wound like that would have been healed by now, but because Riven couldn't feel the pain that it should have been screaming at him, he had kept pushing it and delaying its repair. Feel no pain what so ever, Riven got to his feet and turned on Brandon, ready to cut into him with more than his blade.

"So, why haven't I seen Bloom around Brandon?" Riven asked, swinging his blade around too wildly, allowing Brandon to sidestep his attack. "Huh?" Riven pushed, swinging and missing again. "Huh?" Again, Brandon easily stepped around Riven's sabre. "Huh?"

Finally, on his last lunge, Riven's sabre connected with Brandon's sword. The two blades sparked as they forced against one another, but they had nothing compared to the way Brandon's eyes burned with hate. Riven smirked more out of habit than amusement when he saw that he must have hit a nerve. Arrogantly, Riven made a reckless attack which Brandon easily deflected, but the blonde threw enough force behind it to rip Riven's sabre from his hands and send it flying through the air to embed itself in the ground several meters behind its owner.

"I don't want to talk about Bloom. It's none of your business," Brandon snapped, his entire body reeling in anger. He really hated the fact that Riven knew exactly how to get under somebody's skin, making him all the more deadly with his words than his sabre. As Riven pulled out his morning star and phantom dagger, Brandon moved his phantom shield into his palm, ready to extend it in case Riven unleashed his morning star unexpectedly. But Riven decided to continue with his verbal attack before following through with his physical one.

"Not who you thought she was, is she?"

Furious, Brandon extended his shield, ready for anything else Riven might throw at him. "That's enough! Just bring it on!"

With a cool flick of his wrist, Riven unleashed his morning star in Brandon's direction, throwing behind it all the strength he could muster. His aim hit true, slamming into Brandon's shield with such force that it was enough to throw Brandon backwards, though he didn't lose his footing. Re-gathering his morning star, Riven quickly followed through with another attack, but this time it wasn't as accurate.

Brandon saw Riven's mistake and moved to use it to his advantage. Side stepping the purple orb, Brandon leapt into the air ready for his attack. Because Riven had all his momentum leaning forward into his own attack, he was unable to dodge Brandon's long legs as they kicked into the left side of his chest, throwing Riven backwards and spinning him around onto his stomach. Riven's face hit the stones hard and the wind was knocked from his lungs, but he didn't pause to re-gather himself like he knew he would desperately need. He felt no pain. He could keep going.

In one fluid movement, Riven rolled over onto his back and released his morning star. Not expecting Riven to retaliate so quickly and without his footing, Brandon was not prepared for when the weapon wrapped around his left ankle. With a might tug, Riven ripped Brandon of his feet who crashed to the ground with a painful bang, winding him.

Both Brandon and Riven glared at one another, but before either of them could even move to find their feet, a deep gravely voice called out from over the edge of one of the higher levels.

"What are you lads doing?" Codatorta demanded.

'Oh no,' Brandon groaned inwardly, but he did not drop his hostile attitude towards Riven, who didn't break eyes contact with the blonde despite the fact that he was now probably staring at a life time in detention or a suspension, if not worse.

"Class ended an hour ago and there's no fighting outside fight class," Codatorta reminded them sternly. "But since you like spending so much time together the two of you can spend all night together cleaning the armory!"

"Fantastic," Brandon hissed under his breath as he got to his feet before replying in a much louder voice. "Yes sir."

"Yes sir," Riven also replied at the combat teacher re-entered the halls of Red Fountain. Both boys exchanged are hard look and Riven muttered something under his breath that Brandon was certain consisted of only four letters which pretty much summed up how Brandon was feeling. Cleaning the armory was a bitch of a job due to the fact that you not only had to clean all the weapons, but you also had to clean the cases that held them.

'Could be worse,' Brandon reminded himself just as Codatorta returned to the balcony ledge.

"And Riven, get your ass to Saladin's office like Javelin ordered you to!"

* * *

After dinner that night, Brandon reluctantly made his way to the armoury. He kept dragging his feet to delay his arrival as long as possible, but he knew his punishment couldn't be avoided. Codatorta wasn't going to let them leave until everything down to the last arrow head was cleaned to his satisfaction. _Argh,_ it was going to be a long night. 

"Stupid Riven," Brandon muttered, scuffing his joggers along to stone ground and creating a sharp squeak as the rubber soles of his shoes skimmed along the smooth, hard ground. But then Timmy's logical voice echoed through his mind from when he had informed his friends of the situation he had landed himself in.

"_You didn't have to accept his challenge, Brandon. You're to blame just as much as Riven."_

Damn Timmy and his logical thinking. Brandon would have preferred to waste all his energy blaming Riven, but now he had logical roadblock up in front of him. Why did Timmy have to be right all the time? At least Sky wasn't so reasonable. The brunette shared Brandon's belief that it was all Riven's fault and he wasn't afraid to voice his opinion.

"_If Riven wants to get himself kicked out of school, he can go for his life for all I care,"_ Sky had said. _"But he has no right to try and drag good people who actually have a future down with him."_

But Timmy was never one to be bested in a civil debate.

"_But shouldn't Brandon know better than to let Riven drag him down to his level?" _

Sky didn't have a response to that and neither did Brandon.

Which is why Brandon found himself at the doors to the armoury still torn to wither to suck it up and take his punishment like a man or snivel and whine like a child. He chose to go with the childish after he saw that Riven still hadn't arrived.

"Oh that's just typical," Brandon spat, placing his hands on his hips. "If Riven thinks he can just wag this punishment he's got another thing coming."

"Quit you're crying," a voice said from the corridor behind his. Brandon turned to see Riven emerged from the shadows. He had his hands in his pockets and wore that cold, un-amused look that seemed fixed on his face over the last few months.

"Where have you been?" Brandon snarled. "I've been waiting here for ten minutes."

"Bull shit you were. I saw you walk up this corridor a minute ago so don't try and push your punctual, goody two shoes act on me. Did you forget why you're even here to begin with?" Riven hissed coldly. "Besides, I had to finish off in the kitchen with Jacob."

The stench of cigarette smoke that linger on Rivens clothes, however, told Brandon differently. But then again, knowing Jacob, the chef would be out there puffing down his own cancer stick with the student.

"And now that you finished cleaning the kitchens you can keep cleaning here," a deep voice said as Codatorta joined the two boys. "But look, you've got a little friend this time. Isn't that nice?"

"Delightful," Riven agreed with an extremely forced smile. As soon as Codatorta walked by him but, that smile slipped down into a hateful sneer.

"Watch your cheek, boy. You're on thin ice as it is," Codatorta warned, pushing open the huge double doors that lead into the armoury. "You know the drill, I want everything spotless and you don't leave before that. I don't care if it takes you till dawn, you finish up here. Got it?"

"Yes sir," both boys answered in unison.

"Excellent. I'll be back a few times during the night to make sure you two aren't slacking off so I'll see you lads soon," Codatorta informed them, heading for the door. "Remember, I want spotless."

_Slam!_

The sound the two doors made as they slammed shut echoed off the stone walls of the armoury, leaving the boys alone to face their punishment. The pair exchanged a hard, hateful glare at each other, before wordlessly moving off to start at opposite ends of the armoury. They had a lot of work to do. There was all the weapons which included swords, knives, spears, lances, jousting sticks, beam staffs, bows and arrows, cross bows, guns, grenades, harpoons and whips just to name a few, all their racks and cases as well as countless cupboards and shelves, all of which had glass doors on them.

They boys had been working for over two hours straight without one word spoken between them, when Riven's mind suddenly filled with mist and his vision deteriorated until he saw Darcy's face in the centre of a purple vortex.

"_Hey puppy dog,"_ she grinned, her voice echoing around Riven's mind and flooding out the rest of the world.

"_Hey Darcy,"_ Riven projected back, not speaking aloud. He was not going to give Brandon the impression that he was talking to himself. _"What are you up to?"_

"_Me and the girls are just gathering some ingredients for a spell we're going to put on the Stinx Club," _Darcy told him in an almost childlike delight. That was, if the child happened to be demonic of course. _"So, you gonna come over and see me?"_

"_Sorry babe, I'm on detention. Maybe tomorrow night."_

"_But I want you here now," _Darcy ordered, a certain level of steel in her voice despite her playful pouting. _"Can't you just skip it? You've wagged detention to come see me before."_

"_I know, but I'm stuck on detention with Brandon and I can't have him ratting on me."_

"_Riven, I don't care. I want you here now," _Darcy ordered, all playfulness gone from her voice.

"_I can't. I'm close to getting expelled as it is without walking out on my detention. I'm sorry Darcy, but not tonight," _Riven told her firmly. He saw her golden eyes narrow dangerously and he knew that she was not impressed with him dogging her in the slightest.

Brandon had noticed Riven had stopped working for a minute and was just about to break the two hour long silence and comment on it when a sharp slapping noise suddenly filled the room. It was just one clap of sound, but whatever it was it was at such a high pitch that set Brandon's teeth on edge like when someone scrapes their fingernails down a chalkboard. It was over in less then a second, but it left a ringing in Brandon's ears and his skin still crawled just thinking about the sound.

"What was that?" Brandon gasped. Riven was shaking his head as if trying to clear something from it, but he was also rubbing his cheek with his hand.

"Physic slap," Riven answered calmly. He really hated it whenever Darcy did that to him. Getting slapped in the face was bad enough, but because this was a physic slap it set his entire brain on fire. Still trying to clear his mind, Riven looked up to see Brandon staring at him with confusion written all over his face. "Darcy."

"Oh, right," Brandon nodded. Who else would it be? The tooth fairy? Brandon was so shocked by Darcy sudden attack on her boyfriend that Brandon actually found himself trying to converse with his ex friend. "What? Did you guys have a date to night or something?"

"We had a meeting of sorts. Why?" Riven demanded, suddenly on the defensive. His paranoia was going haywire as Brandon continued to look at him with those questioning blue eyes. Why did Brandon care what he and Darcy were doing? He had no interest in them so why would he ask? What? Did he think he was better then them? Did he think that he and his little red head Bloom was a better couple than him and Darcy? So what if his girlfriend just slapped him while there was an entire forest between them? That didn't prove anything. Why would Brandon even care?

"No reason," Brandon assured, unaware of the thoughts that were flashing through the other boys mind. "Just trying to make conversation is all."

"For the last two hours you didn't seem care that much for conversation," Riven pointed out, his entire body reeling in the suspicion that coursed through him.

"Alright, sorry. Forget I said anything then," Brandon said, returning to his cleaning, but Riven's paranoia wasn't going to let him drop the conversation so easily.

"You think you're better then me, don't you?" Riven accused.

"What?" Brandon asked, turning at stare at the burgundy haired teen in awe. Where the hell did that come from? Riven was suspicious by nature – Brandon figured it had something to do with growing up on the streets – but this was borderline psychotic. The only time Brandon had seem Riven this paranoid was when they had that fight on the Day of the Rose and even then it didn't make any sense.

"You do, don't you? You think just because you got yourself a little Alfea fairy and that you're a lap dog to some prince that you're better than me."

"Well it's a bit hard not to do that we're comparing your self to a street rat and some Cloud Tower skank," Brandon spat. That was low, especially for Brandon, but Riven had been such a jerk recently and his attitude was making Brandon act so much more spiteful than he usually was.

"And you talk as if Bloom doesn't try to crack onto every guy here," Riven hissed back while making a mental note to start a rumour about Bloom cracking onto everyone at Red Fountain. He'd get Darcy to spread it around Cloud Tower too, she'd love to do that.

"That's not true and you know it, Riven," Brandon snarled, folding his arms across his chest. "Bloom is nothing like Darcy."

Riven snorted a sarcastic laugh. "Whatever you say, squire."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm saying that if you really look at it, Bloom and Darcy aren't that much different."

"You've really lost it, Riven," Brandon said with a malicious laugh. "Bloom's like Darcy? Come on. You're stretching a bit far don't you think? Bloom is nothing like that manipulative witch you're going out with."

"Is she? All Bloom has to do is flutter around you with her wings and that short blue shirt of hers and you jump to whatever command she gives you. You don't even pause to ask how high."

"You are so full of it."

"No I'm not. You spent a whole day trudging through a swamp based on a feeling she had. You ditched a concert helped her clean her school when she was on detention. One call from her and you instantly run to her aid usually without even knowing what you've gotten yourself into. You're even more pathetic than Sky and that's saying a lot. Face it Brandon, Bloom's got you wrapped around her little finger. She's just as manipulative as Darcy."

"She is not!"

"They're practically the same person," Riven noted coldly, even though he nearly choked on the words. Bloom and Darcy? Yeah right. He wasn't that delusional.

But his words did exactly what he wanted them too. Brandon's blue eyes went wild with anger and he was gritting his teeth with an animalistic snarl. "Bloom if nothing like Darcy and her sisters! Even if she is a witch she's – "

"A witch? Oh gods, you really are a dumb blonde. Any moron can see what she is. Witches and fairies aren't decided by what school they go to and what clothes they wear, Brandon."

"But the book said – "

"Oh, but the book said. But the book said," Riven whimpered in a mocking tone. "Honestly blondie, do you really think you would have gotten into Cloud Tower and all the way to the book chamber without any drama unless the witches let you get that far?"

"You know about that?" Brandon gasped. Just how involved in the witches plans was Riven?

"Of course I do," Riven snarled. He had to listen to Darcy bitch about how their plans were foiled by that loser Mirta and those foolish fairies until he was able to drink himself into unconsciousness. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Mirta over the last few days? Normally he and the Trix would go torment her every other day. Oh well, at least he had Brandon to torment. "I'm just curious to understand why you even fell for it? I mean, it so obvious Bloom isn't a witch. She wouldn't last one minute in a place like Cloud Tower."

"It's none of your business," Brandon said, turning his back one Riven. He did not want to have this conversation with anyone, least of all Riven.

"Like that's ever stopped me," Riven _huff_ed before continuing to ponder his theories out loud. "Now why would you choose to over look the bleeding obvious? That's just not like you. Normally you're one of the first to play Captain Obvious, usually with an awesome thrown in there somewhere. But this time you didn't and simply over looked the fact that you've seen her use her magic even before she was even taught how to use it."

"Shut up, Riven," Brandon growled even though he was wondering the same thing. Why didn't he see what was right in front of him sooner?

"Unless you were looking for some excuse to get out of this . . . _thing_ you have with Bloom. I don't even know what it is you two are doing. I wouldn't call it a relationship. I mean, come on, you haven't even kissed her yet after how many months of chasing her skirt?"

"Just drop it!"

"But you like boring things like your music so you wouldn't disregard her over that?" Riven continued to ponder. He still had no idea what he was getting at, but it was annoying Brandon for some reason so he figured he'd keep going with it. "And you're both as pitiful as one another. A squire and an Earth girl. You can't get more pathetic than that."

"What about a street rat and a princess? Huh? Isn't that more pathetic?" Brandon snarled, turning back around to rip into Riven with an uncharacteristic heat. He knew it was beyond low to drag Musa into this shit storm, but he was so furious he was passed reason. And worst of all he was angry because, unbeknown to Riven, the burgundy haired teen had hit pretty close to the mark. What if Brandon was sub-concisely looking for a way out of this thing he was having with Bloom. He really liked the girl – like _a lot_ – but if he wanted to be with her he was going to have to deal with Diaspro and face up to his father. He wasn't sure if he could do that. Confused and angry, he decided to take it out on Riven. "You purposely push Musa away because you're afraid of losing the slightest bit of control and you call me pathetic?"

"You better watch yourself, squire."

"Or what? You'll set your psychotic girlfriend on me to give me a telepathic bitch slap? Seriously Riven, do you actually think I'm intimidated by . . ."

Whatever Brandon was saying suddenly washed away as Riven's ears filled with static. He could still see Brandon's mouth move, forming words that Riven couldn't hear. It was as if he was talking underwater. And then the voice started to fill his ears.

"_When the screams of a thousand years are finally heard and the terror of the night erases day. When the moons up above are consumed by shadow then the flames down below will cause doom to rain and the creatures of the night will rise once again."_

" . . . you're such and ass! I can't believe I used to hang out with you!" Brandon continued to yell. "They way you've acting recently is totally . . . "

"_When the screams of a thousand years are finally heard and the terror of the night erases day. When the moons up above are consumed by shadow – "_

" . . . it's like you're a different person and frankly that person sucks. You . . . "

" – _then the flames down below will cause doom to rain and the creatures of the night will rise once again. When the screams of a thousand years are finally heard and the terror of the night erases day. When the moons up above – "_

"Shut up," Riven hissed through his teeth, staring into nothing as he tried to stop the voices.

"No! You've been carrying on like this for so long and I'm sick of it!" Brandon raged while he was simultaneously thinking 'What the hell is he looking at?'

" – _are consumed by shadow then the flames down below will cause doom to rain and the creatures of the night will rise once again."_

"Shut up," Riven repeated, visibly shaking in what Brandon thought was rage but was in actual fact from his mind going haywire.

"_When the screams of a thousand years are finally heard and the terror of the night erases day – "_

"What are you boys up to?" Codatorta asked, striding into the armory. But the two quarreling boys took no notice of him.

" _- when the moons up above are consumed by shadow then the flames down below will cause doom to rain and the creatures of the night will rise once again!"_

"No wonder your own mother didn't want you!"

"Shut up!" Riven finally snapped, fed up with listening to the same thing over and over again. At his wits end, Riven impulsively pushed his mind outwards, trying to blast the sound away like he had seen Darcy do with her illusions. But he got more than he bargained for.

_Smash!!!_

Brandon instinctively shielded his arms in front of his face as the glass cabinets surrounding them suddenly exploded outwards, covering the three people in the armory with glass fragments and filling the air with a continuous shattering noise as the glass splintered and broke underneath itself. The strange phenomenon continued all throughout the armory as the glass broke and waterfalled down itself to blanket the ground like snow.

The silence that followed the incident was deafening and Codatorta was the first to properly observe the damage. There was not one sheet of glass left in one piece and the glass glinted on the ground like diamonds.

"We are so dead," Brandon more to himself the Riven, but the red head wouldn't have been paying attention anyway. He had gone very pale since the incident and was still shaking.

"Most likely a poltergeist," Codatorta concluded. He had been in the room when it had happened so he couldn't blame it on the boys. It wasn't like either of them had any magic. "They manage to sneak in every now and then and cause some considerable amount of damage. This has to be the first poltergeist Red Fountain has had in over a decade. I'll have to get Saladin in the check this place out. You boys can leave, I suppose. Don't think you'll get much more cleaning done in here tonight. Straight to you're dorms. Go!"

The boys didn't need to be told twice, but while Brandon did as he was ordered and returned directly to his dorm Timmy and Sky of what had just happened, Riven went to the nearest bathroom and was briefly but noisily sick.

* * *

_(1) I had a teacher that used to do that, only it was with those two meter long rulers_

_TBC_


	16. The Nightmare Monster

_The parade scene coming up is exactly like how we used to do it while I was in the army cadets. The right marker is basically supposed to mark out where the rest of the platoon is supposed to march to, which is seventeen paces in to the right, I think. It might be fifteen. Doesn't matter now._

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen – The Nightmare Monster**

"I love it when they call special assemblies during Heroics History," Sky grinned, taking his place in rank on the parade ground. Today was looking good for him. Most classes had been cancelled to allow extra time for students and teachers to prepare for the Day of the Royals, where Red Fountain would be showing off its finest for the King and Queen of Popularis (1) and their very attractive daughter.

"Yeah, but I'd prefer to use this time going over our dragon wrangling skills," Brandon sighed.

"Brandon, you're like the best out of all of us with the dragons," Timmy reminded the blonde. "You've got nothing to worry about."

"There's no harm in being over prepared," Brandon shrugged. He knew he shouldn't be too worried about the dragons, even if they were mustang dragons, but he had a gut feeling something wasn't right. He had no troubles with his levi bike racing, and his sword and shield techniques were down pat, but for some reason he had some nagging feeling that something horrible was going to happen. Something he wasn't prepared for.

"Stand fast!" Codatorta roared as Headmaster Saladin entered the parade field. The entire student body of Red Fountain snapped to attention as Codatorta saluted Saladin. "As you were!"

"I know that this is basically a military academy, but for once I'd like to have an assembly without all this ceremony," Sky sighed as the company moved back into their at ease stance.

"You picked the wrong school then," Timmy informed the prince.

"You could always transfer to Alfea," Brandon suggested. "All they have to do before each assembly is sing their school song."

"Not a bad idea. I'd also get to spend more time with Stella," Sky grinned.

"And I'm sure you'd look smashing in a mini shirt."

"Oh, thanks Brandon."

"That's enough," Javelin warned quietly as Codatorta took his position to start parade.

"Company! Attention!" Codatorta shouted, and the students quickly snapped to attention in unison. "Company! At ease!"

"That is so pointless," Sky muttered under his breath but with quickly shushed by his friends. Who were they to argue with tradition?

"Right markers! Right turn!" the combat professor commanded, and the person in the front rank furthest to the right of each platoon (one for each grade) swiftly turned to their right on the spot in the usual military precision. "Right markers! Seventeen paces, quick march!"

"Hey, when this is over wonna see if we can hit Jacob up for some food?" Brandon asked as Codatorta made certain that each right marker were on the mark by telling them to stay stead or to move in what ever direction they needed to in order to be in line with the other right markers.

"Totally. He's apparently trying out a bunch of recipes for the Day of the Royals and he'll need a few guinea pigs to test them on," Sky said, trying his best not to talk without moving his lips.

"Timmy?"

"I gotta check something out first," Timmy answered.

"Right markers! At Ease!" Codatorta shouted, cutting off any chance for Sky and Brandon to ask just what Timmy was up to. "Red Fountain Academy! On parade!"

As one, every student on the parade ground turned sharply to the right and marched the seventeen paces required to put the platoon in line with their right marker. Once they reached their seventeen pace, they come to a halt, turn left to face the front of parade again before finishing by going to at ease, awaiting Codatorta's next orders.

"Company! Attention! Company! Right dress!"

In order to get the correct spacing in the ranks, the students in the front rank all raised their left arm till it was exactly horizontal with the ground, and moved until they were just touching the closed fist of the person to the right of them. The students in the ranks behind simply had to move behind to student in front of them which wasn't very easy since everyone had to be looking right.

"Company! Eyes front! Company! At ease! Company! Attention!"

"We just went at ease," Sky moaned as Saladin moved in the take command of the parade.

"Sky," Javelin warned.

"Sorry sir."

"Company. At ease," Saladin commanded, his soft voice managing to reach even the furthest ranks. "We have a few announcements to get through, but firstly I would like to say that that I am extremely proud of all you boys for the effort you are all putting into this years Day of the Royals. This is the one day when Red Fountain can truly show our talent, and since this day only comes once every four years (2), it is not an opportunity to be wasted. I expect all of you to represent our prestigious academy to the very best of your ability. I'm counting on all of you."

"He gives me Goosebumps whenever he gets all 'be the greatest you can be' like that," Sky grinned, but he quickly dropped it when he saw Javelin watching him.

"Unfortunately, due to an illness in the family, the King and Queen of Popularis, as well as their lovely daughter Hermia (3) will not be joining us for this years Day of the Royals."

"Well that'll put a damper on the festivities," Brandon commented, and Sky couldn't help but feel a little bit annoyed at the fact that Javelin didn't give him a warning or a hard look. But then again virtually everyone had started talking at once after the headmaster's announcement and no teacher was good enough to silence an entire school.

"However, we were most fortunate to confirm on short notice the attendance of another royal family who will oversee this years presentation," Saladin announced. "This year, Red Fountain will gladly play host to the King and Queen of Eraklyon."

Both Brandon and Sky felt their blood turn to ice as Saladin went on with is usual speech about everybody behaving themselves and not disgracing the name of Red Fountain. The King and Queen of _Eraklyon!_ Not good! _Not good!_ How the hell were they going to get themselves out of this one? This was not good. Seriously not good!

"That's pretty cool that your parents are coming, Sky," Timmy commented, unaware that his two friends were silently freaking out. "You haven't seen them in ages."

"Huh?" the brunette asked dumbly at the statement that had been directed his way before recovering and forcing a smile. "Yup. Been so long they might not recognize me. Ah, good old ma and pop. King and Queen of Eraklyon. Coming here to Red Fountain for the Day of the Royals. My mum and dad. This'll be great."

* * *

"This is the worst thing that could have ever happened," Sky hyperventilated, clutching the railing of the balcony so tightly his knuckles had turned white. Assembly had been dismissed and Timmy had run off to do whatever he needed to do, promising to met up with the two Eraklyons afterwards so they could possible raid Jacob's experimental dishes.

But at the moment, food couldn't be any further from Sky and Brandon's mind as they felt sick to their stomachs as they contemplated the fate that awaited them. After years of hiding, their secret was going to come out and it was going to change everything. Their friends would no doubt feel somewhat betrayed and the teachers would not be impressed in the slightest for being lied to for two years, not to mention there was no doubt something somewhat illegal about what they had done.

"Okay. What do we do? What do we do? What do we do? What do we do? What do we do?" Brandon repeated over and over again, running a nervous hand through his blonde hair. "Oh, what do we do?"

"I dunno. This was your idea man."

"What does that mean?" Brandon asked, suddenly feeling, if it was possible, more horrible. "Do you regret doing this?"

"Look, bro, if you asked me to do it again I'd still go through with it. It gave us both a different perspective, but I just wished we could have planned it better so that we could avoid a mess like this."

"I know what you mean, but there's not much we can do about it, now can we?" Brandon sighed. "Any ideas about how were going to survive this thing?"

"Well, it's only for one day, right?"

"Yeah. They're going to arrive that morning and leave the first thing the next day."

"So we basically just have to get through twenty-four hours and most of that's going to be tied up with the festival and ceremony and all that, not to mention the time we'll be asleep so really, it's just two hours we need to get through."

"How did you get two hours out of all that?"

"It's a lot less daunting and I think we can ride it out."

"Ride it out?" Brandon repeated.

"Yeah, we just go through the motions. We'll do out presentations for the royalty and if we are requested to go see them, we'll just . . . play the professional soldier who salutes and acts professional and doesn't give out hugs."

"The professional solider. That's perfect."

"Saladin will be so please."

"Yes he will. That's brilliant. Right, we'll do that."

"What about Timmy?"

"What about Timmy?"

"Do we tell him?"

"Do we tell him?"

"Brandon! Stop it! I'm stressed enough as it is without you repeating everything I say!"

"Right. Sorry," Brandon apologized. "Okay, Timmy. Timmy. TimmyTimmyTimmy. Um. . . No! No, we don't tell him. Not yet at least. It's rude of us to think we can dump this on him and expect him to play along straight away. He needs time to get used to this. We'll tell him later."

"Later's good. I like later," Sky nodded. "But what about Stella?"

"Stella?"

"She's gonna want to met her boyfriends parents. And Bloom probably will want to come too."

"Bloom. Right."

There was silence for a moment as the two boys tried to come up with a solution to the problem that was facing them, till finally Sky spoke. "Um, we could always, I dunno, not invite them."

"That's right. We haven't officially invited them now have we? They won't be on the list so they won't be able to get in. Then we can explain it to them later."

"I'm really liking later."

"Me too. Later."

"Later."

"I like it."

"It's the bomb."

"Yeah," Brandon grinned, but he still felt sick inside.

* * *

"What do you mean you don't know?" Timmy demanded with a frustrated sigh. "You guys hang out all the time. You'd have to have noticed something!"

"Er, I dunno. He's been kinda distracted and moody or whatever but that might because he hasn't been getting enough sleep," Lex shrugged, his pale blue eyes wide and uncertain at Timmy's behavior. "Look man, if you really want to know why don't you go ask Riven?"

"I don't think he'd be very cooperative," Timmy said, pinching the bridge of his nose and trying to suppress the urge to strangle the short sophomore in front of him, but then again he should have know better then to go to Lex for information. That kid wasn't very good with observing people if they didn't have breasts.

"Why do you care anyway? I thought you weren't speaking to Riven."

"I'm not really, but it's more he doesn't want to talk to us. I don't know, I guess I still worry about him since we used to be friends and now he's gotten so messed up. I mean, he's out almost every night drinking, he's not eating or sleeping and god knows what else he gets up to with Darcy. All this stuff can't be good for him. They've got to be having so major side effects on him."

"Oh, you get that feeling with him too, ay?"

"What feeling?"

"You know, that he's hearing things we can't."

Timmy didn't know what to make of that observation. "What?"

"Like when you're sitting in class and he'll be staring at nothing and listen to something that isn't there like he's tripping out or something," Lex explained. "Except the thing is, it happens when he ain't been using. Like I know he can communicate with Darcy mentally thanks something she did, but I don't think that it. It's weird, man."

"I thought all boys were meant to be weird," a new voice said, making both boys jump. Neither of them had noticed the girl join them, making it appear to them that she had just appeared out of thin air. It was also a wonder how she had gotten so far onto the Red Fountain grounds since everything about her attire screamed witch. Timmy's eyes narrowed as he glared at the girl suspiciously, but Lex smiled widely when he got a look at the tiny short she wore, exposing her slim but toned legs.

"Well, I'd be willing to debate that for nothing more than to keep you around a little longer," Lex grinned eagerly.

The witch looked the hero up and down openly before matching his grinned. With artful coyness and a well practice flick of her deep violet hair, the witch returned Lex's flirtatious greeting. "Maybe I can find some reason to stick around."

Lex looked ecstatic. "Nice legs."

"Thanks," the witch beamed.

"When do they open?"

The girls face suddenly went stony but her sea grey eyes were blazing and absolutely bored into the boy who was almost flinching under her gaze. Witches were by nature strong, independent, usually short tempered women, and this girl was a witch from her well worn joggers to her violet hair and burgundy dyed bangs. "Okay, you have to the count of three to get out of here or I will make you go. One – "

"What?"

" – two – "

"No, I didn't – "

" – three. Goodbye."

_Snap!!_

Timmy jumped as the air crackled and Lex vanished. The witch continued to stare at the place where the Red Fountain student once stood, before smoothing her hair and turning her attention to Timmy.

"What did you do to him?" Timmy asked in a shaking voice. He had never met this witch before she he had no idea what her powers were. Who knows what she had done to Lex. He could be flying through the air in one hundred thousand million pieces for all Timmy knew.

"I teleported him out into the enchanted forest," the witch informed casually as if it was something completely normal. "He should be back in about an hour if he starts walking right away. And in the right direction. It was a shame I had to do that. He was kinda cute."

"What do you want?" Timmy demanded a bit defensively. He didn't trust witches for obvious reasons, and this witch was not doing anything to change his opinion on that particular group in society.

"Just to talk," the girl shrugged, ignoring Timmy's hostile attitude. "You are Timmy, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am. And I'm not at all interested in talking to a witch like you," Timmy said harshly, turning his back on the unfazed witch. However, when he turned around, he was surprised to find her standing right in his path.

"Whatever," she shrugged off as Timmy looked back to where she was standing before to find it completely empty. "See, what you were doing right there was stereo-typing and social discrimination which isn't very fitting for someone who's supposed to embody nobility and valour and all the crap. Wouldn't you say?"

"Er . . . " Timmy stammered. He had no idea what this witch was getting at. She was being pretty vicious – no missing that – but it didn't seem as malevolent as the Trix were. This girl had a point to being here and she was going to get it out no matter how hard Timmy tried to fight it.

"Now, if I wanted to do that to you, I don't think you'd really enjoy that now would you? I mean, I could totally stereo-type you into being the loser geek nerd and which I – the beautiful, independent, talent, teenaged witch – would socially discriminate you by doing this."

Before Timmy could stop her, the witch reached out and snatched his glasses off his face.

"Hey!" Timmy shouted, but the witch quickly moved out of reach of his hands, laughing cruelly. And even without his glasses, Timmy could tell that this girl was moving much fast than was naturally allowed. And the next thing he knew, the witch had shoved his glasses back on his face crookedly.

"Now, are you going to be polite or am I going to have to relocate you to where you're little friend is?"

"I'll listen," Timmy said. As if he would have said anything else?

"Excellent," the girl grinned, dropping her aggressive attitude slightly. "Now, you were friends with Riven before he hooked up with Darcy, weren't you?"

"Um . . . I – "

"It's a yes or no question."

"Yes."

"Does he talk to himself often?"

"Talk to himself?" Timmy repeated, which caused the girl to roll her eyes.

"I thought you were supposed to be smart," she spat, rubbing the bridge of her nose in much the same way Timmy was before because of how frustrating Lex was being. "You know what book I think you'd really find interesting? It's called _'The Ipswich Index'_ and I think it's just up your ally. Chapter Twelve in particular."

"Huh?"

"I don't think Red Fountain has a copy of it, but the library in Magix does."

"What makes you think I'd be interested in some book?" Timmy question, not trusting this girl in the slightest.

"One word; curiosity," the witch grinned wickedly. "You won't be able to stand not knowing what's in that book and no matter how hard you trying you're going to look it up. That's just how people are."

Timmy's eyes narrowed, but he could deny that part of him did what to go look up that book and that particular chapter. "Who are you?"

"The name's Dominique," the witch introduced. "Remember; _'The Ipswich Index'_. Chapter Twelve."

And then the witch turned, and with super human speed, bolted off the grounds of Red Fountain, leaving Timmy with the task of finding Lex's roommate, Jared, and informing him of the misplaced students situation, while all the while, fighting off curiosity.

* * *

The Library of Magix was an archaic looking building located near in the central plaza of Magix. A set of large steps lead up to the building were vast and covered with flocks upon flocks of birds which would normally leave an awful mess if not for the hourly cleaning spell the library staff had to conduct. Inside, countless shelves held a seemingly endless collection of books, maps, scrolls and parchment. It was rare, even impossible, not to find whatever text you were looking for within those walls.

"I don't even know why I'm here," Timmy sighed as he stood at the base of those massive steps. After he had managed to track down Jared to tell him of Lex's relocated state, Timmy had done everything in his power to avoid going to Magix in order to look up the volume that the witch Dominique thought he would find to be interesting, but his curiosity was far too strong. With a slight hesitation, Timmy began to climb the steps of the library.

Using the library's search engine, Timmy managed to pinpoint the exact location of the book titled _The Ipswich Index_ and made his way thought the shelves to where the book was placed. The library staff was too thorough to allow one piece of parchment to be put out of place, so the book was waiting for him exactly where the search engine said it would be. After a brief pause, Timmy reached out and removed the dustless volume from the shelf.

"_The Ipswich Index_," Timmy read, opening the somewhat worn but completely in tacked cover. The library in Magix had a strange tendency to age their books at a much fast rate than was normal. Timmy personally found it to be rather pretentious since books that were released this year were instantly aged by a decade or so, but the tourists loved it. It was a thick book with many chapters, and as Timmy turned the slightly yellowed and creaking pages he instantly recognized what it was he was looking at. "It's a medical journal. A book on the magical related illness. Why would I be interested in this?"

Timmy continued to flip through the pages looking for the twelfth chapter, and when he found it he couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh when he saw what was scribbled into the margin.

_Knew you couldn't stay away. Dom xoxo_

"Women," Timmy said with a shake of his head before moving on to read the actual text that was written for this particular chapter. "'_Darkconus Syndrome_. For centuries, both mystics and medical physicians have been studying the mind in hopes to unlock the many mysteries behind its functions and ability, and even after years of research, they are only just starting to scratch the surface of just what it can really do.'"

Timmy quickly looked at the cover of the book again. This was only published two years ago, so the information was fairly recent and reliable. Turning back to the page he was reading before, Timmy continued to read aloud to him self.

"Due to limited education, the field of telepathy and mind control has always been rather uncertain, often leading to extreme side effects, some of which are fatal. For example the dreaded Atropa Curse (4), which is universally forbidden to conjure, was originally discovered by a failed attempt to help remove an individual's anxiety.'

"'Most side effects occur when a telepath enters a mind and tries to change something and usually have an immediate consequence. These side effects can range from anywhere form memory loss and insomnia to server schizophrenia and mental illness. The most extreme of these cases can also result in the wiping of a mind or even death.'

"'One of the most lingering of these side effects occurs when the mind has a chemical reaction to the spell and attempts to remove the foreign physic imprint but ultimately ends up destroying its self. This disease has been given the title _Darkconus Syndrome_ by both the medical and magical community. This process is slow, gradually attacking the mind and disabling pain receptors, the central nervous system as well as emotion until the individual is in a condition known as Emotionally Paralyzed. Symptoms of _Darkconus Syndrome_ include . . . '"

Timmy trailed off as he read down the list of symptoms and the pieces of the puzzle that Dominique had given him start to fall into place. No longer hesitant, Timmy closed the book and headed off to the front counter to borrow the book.

* * *

The storm broke around midnight, lulling Riven asleep at an earlier hour that he had been falling asleep at in months. It wasn't as deep as he would have liked it but it was better than no sleep at all. However, at some time close to two in the morning, Riven felt that slight tingling in his mind that informed him that someone was in his head. Without opening his eyes, Riven opened his mind to the girl he knew was niggling to get into his thoughts.

"_Hey babe."_

"_Hello Puppy Dog."_ Darcy projected back, and Riven could tell something was bothering her by her tone. _"Can I spend the night?"_

"_What's the matter?"_ Riven ignored the question. He may be exhausted, but he knew when something was wrong with Darcy. First of all, Darcy never asked for anything. If she wanted to do something, she'd just go ahead and do it. And secondly, her tone was completely different to the way it had been before. She had been on a high after managing to set some daemon on the Winx Club, and she didn't sound pleased anymore.

"_My sisters and I just got expelled."_

Riven didn't answer right away as he simply digested the information she had just given him. The Trix might not like school, but they did not like to be rejected from anything. They were untouchable. In their eyes, not even Miss Griffin had power over them so something like this must be a terrible shock to their egos and Riven couldn't help but dread their revenge.

"_Sure babe. Whatever you want."_

Riven rolled over onto his side, and Darcy magically teleported herself into his bed through the shadows. She was still fully clothed, and those clothes along with her hair was sopping wet, a clear indication that she had been outside when the storm broke which meant her make up must be a frightful mess. Too tired to do anything or to even complain about the now saturated state of his bed, Riven simply wrapped his arms around her and tried to fall back to sleep.

* * *

_(1) Popularis was the realm that Lucy pretended to be from in Miss Magix. Even though I know it was a spell I thought that she looked so pretty in that episode. Especially her hair_

_(2) It's like the Olympics and it also explains why we don't see another Day of the Royals in the other season. It doesn't explain why we never see the Day of the Rose in any of the other seasons _

_(3) Another Shakespeare reference_

_(4) Just a little nod towards one of my other fic's 'His Strength, His Weakness'_

_I got the name Darkconus Syndrome after watching Donnie Darkco too many times. I really wanted to add a Frank like character but it just didn't fit well. One day I'll get my hallucinogenic mind spawn out but today I will accept the bitter taste of failure. _

_TBC_.


	17. Royal Heartbreak

_Okay, I know a lot of you have been looking forward to this chapter and I hope I don't disappoint. It doesn't really cover the girls side of the story because that's not the point of this fic. Besides, we already know what happens to them. Stella gets angry and Bloom runs away. _

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen – Royal Heartbreak **

Brandon concluded that the week leading up to the Day of the Royals had to be the worst week of his life. He got virtually no sleep, he couldn't eat and he couldn't get his impending doom off his mind which was bad since every time he thought about it he felt sick to his stomach. He just had to survive tomorrow and the day after that. That wasn't that long. He could do that, right?

"Oh well, at least it can't get any worse," Brandon sighed, and then he literally hit himself in the head. If he had learnt anything from TV it was that the second some said 'at least it can't get any worse' it instantly turned from bad to just plain –

_Ring! Ring!_

"Shit!" Brandon cursed when he saw who it was on called ID. Reluctantly, Brandon pushed the answer button. "Hi Diaspro."

"Hey sweetie!" the cheery voice of Brandon's betrothed. "Oh my gosh, I haven't talked to you in like forever."

"Yeah, I know," Brandon said while silently thinking of how much he liked it that way. It wasn't that he didn't like Diaspro, it was just that whenever they were together it felt so forced. Not like when he was with Bloom. "So how're things at Quartz Ladies Collage (1)?"

"Oh, they're great, but I didn't call for small talk, cuddie pie. You would not believe my surprise to hear that the King and Queen of Eraklyon were going to be the royals at the Day of the Royal. I like totally flipped. I mean, Red Fountain only host the Day of the Royals once ever four years so it's like a huge deal to be asked to be the royals."

"I know," Brandon nodded, trying to think of a way to end this conversation. He had enough on his mind without Diaspro making it more difficult for him.

"Anyway, when I heard I cancelled all my plans and had a talk with your dad and he agreed to let me go with the royal party so I can see you! Isn't that great?"

Brandon suddenly found it hard to breath. Diaspro was coming to Red Fountain! Oh gods. Oh gods! This was not good! Not good!!

"Yeah, that's awesome," Brandon managed to choke out. Oh gods, what was he going to do?

"But like as if your dad wouldn't let me come. He can't say no to me. He like loves me," Diaspro continued on, unaware that her betrothed was currently freaking out on the other end of the phone. "But look, honey, I have to go. I must make a dash down to the salon to get some last minute beauty treatment. I must be looking the best for tomorrow when you show me off to all your hunky Red Fountain friends. Hey! Maybe we can like make a trip to Alfea so we can make all the girls there mega jealous because of the fabulous couple we make."

"We'll see about that," Brandon said, starting to hyperventilate a bit.

"Okay darling, I'll see you tomorrow," Diaspro squealed. "Oh! I can't wait."

"Me neither," Brandon forced out before shutting off his phone. "Shit!"

Gods! The Day of the Royals was turning out to be a right royal mess. Everything was starting to come apart at the seams. He and Sky may have been able to coast through the next two days fine, but Diaspro was not going to make it easy for them. If anything, she'd be the one to blow their cover.

"Oh, what am I going to do?" Brandon asked allowed. He already felt bad enough for avoiding Bloom because of this festival, and now he was dogging her to hang out with Diaspro. For some reason it made Brandon feel dishonest to the Alfea fairy, although in actual fact he was probably being more dishonest and unfaithful to Diaspro than anyone else.

This whole situation was messed up.

"I've just got to relax and go find Sky," Brandon told himself. "Relax. Relax. _Relax._ Oh god dammit would you just relax! Okay, okay. What makes you relax? Huh? What will relax you?"

After pondering the thought for a while, Brandon went and grabbed his bath towel. Maybe he'd feel better after a nice, warm shower.

* * *

"That feels a little better," Brandon said aloud as he re-entered his room after showering. His hair was still wet, but his muscles had relaxed slightly under the hot warm and he smelt clean, something he had come to really appreciate after all those times sweating it out in the gym or trekking through less than desirable environments like the Black Mud Swamp.

He was still towel drying his hair when his phone went off for the second time, and Brandon answered it without checking the caller ID. He figured it was no doubt going to be bad, and he'd rather not be able to see it coming. "Hello?

"Hey," the voice on the other end replied. "How bout this weather?"

Brandon was a little taken back. He was expecting something to mess up this situation even further – if that was possible – and he got the weather instead. "Hey. Is that you Bloom?"

"It's me," Bloom said cheerfully, but Brandon couldn't help but notice that her voice was shaking slightly. "Have you happened to notice how nice the weather's been the last few days?"

"Er . . . It's nice," Brandon agreed. Where was this conversation going? Bloom didn't even to seem to know.

"Er, if you like today's nice wait until tomorrow. I heard it will be clear and sunny all day long."

"Um, that's good to know."

"Oh yeah. It promises to be a nice little day. It will be perfect for that thing you guys are doing tomorrow. What was it again?"

Bingo. That's what she was after. Brandon knew she was probably sniffing around for an invitation and under any normal circumstances he would be more than happy to invite her. But as he walked over to his dresser, a holographic photo of his fiancée he remembered exactly why he couldn't do that.

"Just, er, the Day of the Royals," he said, trying to think of a way to end the conversation before he had to explain everything further. He just wasn't ready to deal with this.

"Right. Should be a fun day. I never been to – "

Brandon knew what she was doing and knew he needed to stop it. However, left with no time to think, he panicked and did the lowest thing he could possibly do. _"__Beep."_

"What was that?"

"That's my call waiting," Brandon lied through his teeth, and he felt his guts twist with each word. "I should probably get that. _Beep._ I'll talk to you later."

Brandon quickly disconnected the call and stared down at the phone in his hand. What had he done? He had blow off Bloom in the most gutless way possible. Call waiting. What was with that?

"That was so lame."

"What was?" Timmy asked, entering their room. Good old sweet, innocent, ignorant Timmy. It was amazing how someone as intelligent as Timmy could miss everything that Brandon and Sky were trying to contain over the last few days. The trust that boy had in his eyes behind those glass put Brandon through more agony than he cared to admit.

"Nothing," Brandon sighed, throwing his towel away. Timmy took a seat at his desk but his eyes didn't leave his blonde roommate. He had already lost one friend to strange mood swings, and both Brandon and Sky seemed to be out of sorts over the last week, thought they were no where near as vindictive as Riven was.

"You don't honestly expect me to believe that do you?" Timmy asked. "Brandon, what's been with you this last week? You're all over the shop. One minute you're as happy as Larry, the next you're pulling you hair out. Something's up, I know it."

"It's nothing important," Brandon tried to dismiss. Apparently Timmy wasn't as ignorant as Brandon thought he was.

"Brandon, I'm your friend," Timmy reminded him. "You can trust me."

Brandon smiled, touched at Timmy's concern. He moved over to stand by his friend so he could clasp him on the shoulder briefly. "Thanks man."

"Anytime. Now what's up?"

"I feel terrible. Bloom just called me and I was totally cold," Brandon confessed. "Timmy I don't know how I'm going to pull off this weekend."

"Hey, it'll be fine," Timmy assured him. Why was Brandon freaking out about the Day of the Royals? He was one of the best in his class. So what if his King and Queen were coming. It wasn't like he was Prince Sky or anything.

"Diaspro's coming," Brandon informed his friend, and suddenly Timmy saw the pieces fall into place.

"Uh-oh."

"Yeah and all I can think about is Bloom," Brandon admitted. "I need help."

"All rightly there must be a logical solution," Timmy mused, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "A rational approach. Oh! I know! I've got it!"

"What?" Brandon choked out as an insane amount of hope swelled inside of him.

Timmy stood up in order to present his idea that was indeed the only option for Brandon at the moment. "Get out of town as fast as you can."

For the first time since they had been friends, Brandon had an almost irresistible desire to hit Timmy square in the face. "Oh come on dude!"

"Keep a low profile tomorrow," Timmy suggested, all jokes aside. "Keep your helmet on. Now go call Bloom apologize."

"Yeah I'll go call her right now," Brandon agreed, heading for the door. He'd call her as soon as he found Sky and talked things over with him first. "Tell her how I really – "

Brandon suddenly cut himself off when he saw who happened to be passing by his room. If Brandon had been walking just the slightest bit faster he would have probably collided straight into Riven who was walking down the hallway in the opposite direction. The red head look like crap, to put it lightly, a clear result that he had been out all last night. And he did not seem too impressed with almost being run over into his former friend.

"You're so pathetic," Riven spat at Brandon, his dead eyes staring into him. "You're getting all worked up over a girl like Bloom."

"What?" Brandon snarled. He was not in the mood for Riven's little mind games, and if he was going to try and trash Bloom Brandon wasn't going to stand for it.

"Why do you even want to be seen with that little pixie? After all, everybody knows she tried to hook up with every guy in Red Fountain," Riven informed the blonde, repeating a rumor that he himself had started. He would have continued on degrading the fairy if Brandon hadn't snapped and punched him hard in the stomach. It didn't hurt, but it forced all the air out of Rivens lungs which was a lot less since he started smoking.

"Just shut up Riven!" Brandon flared up, ready to rip into Riven if the other boy asked for it. He had been under far too much stress and Riven had been too big of a jerk for him to just walk away this time. But Riven recovered a lot fast than Brandon expected him too, and before he could block it, one of Riven's long legs collected him square in the chest, sending him flying backwards.

Brandon hit the ground with a hard bang, and Riven didn't hesitation to try and punch him while he's down. Luckily, Brandon managed to catch his fist and quickly gained the advantage by flipping Riven over onto his back, pining him to the ground. Angry beyond threats, Brandon and Riven focused all their energy on trying to get their hands around the other boy to try and cause some damage. And they probably would have if Sky didn't suddenly come running in to break them up.

"Hey! Stop it!" the prince ordered, pulling Brandon off Riven. What the hell happened to result in the two boys rolling around on the floor like tavern drunks? He'd expect that from Riven, yeah, but not Brandon. Timmy, who had come out of their dorm, looked just as shocked as Sky. "That's enough! Hey guys! Break it up! Brandon! Take it easy! Are you all right?"

Brandon would have liked to have continued trying to beat Riven's face into a pulp, but he couldn't blame his _real _friends for caring about him. "Yeah."

"How about you Riven? Are you alright?" Sky asked, putting his hand on Riven's shoulder in an attempt to try and fix some of the bad blood going on between them, but Riven would have none of it. With a certain edge, Riven shrugged the prince off of him and Sky instantly flared up in retaliation. "Hey! You have so much toot! What's your problem Riven?"

"What's your problem?" Riven snarled back, He knew what his problems were – not sleeping, not eating, not feeling anything, his entire life going up shit creek, those damn voices and being stuck in a relationship with a girl he hated everything about and who he now had to travel to an old house outside of Magix that the Trix called the Black Lagoon if he wanted to see her – and if those loser couldn't see that then they we're worth his time.

"I hope I draw you on sword and shield combat tomorrow!" Sky threatened.

"Bring it on! I'll so wipe you out!"

Sky would have probably tried to hit him if someone didn't clear the throat, getting the attention of all the boys who turned to see Saladin watch them.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," the headmaster said, walking over to boys with an un-impressed expression on his face and his arms folded. "Tomorrow is an important day for all of us here. Sky's parents are coming and I expect only your best behaviour."

He didn't say much, but all the students got his message immediately. Timmy, Brandon and Sky instantly jumped to attention while Riven purposely didn't respond.

"Yes sir!" the three boys said in unison.

Saladin turned his attention to the one boy he didn't respond to his warning. "Riven?"

"Yes sir," Riven finally replied, though it lacked the sharpness of the other boys. His mind, however, was screaming at him. What the hell was wrong with him?! Saladin had given him a chance to get off the streets and make something of his life and this was how he thanked him?! Gods knows where he would be if Saladin hadn't offered him a place at Red Fountain! No doubt dealing in high level crime which would probably mean he'd be dead by long. Most people don't last too long in that business without being shot at least once, and given his charming personality and luck, Riven knew he probably would find himself staring down the barrel of a gun pretty fast. Hell, he had already. (2)

Saladin stared into his troublesome student and didn't attempt to hide his disappointment. The headmaster had gone out on a limb to give a futureless kid a chance, and this year Riven was throwing it all away. But he would have to deal with that after the Day of the Royals was over. "Decorum is an essential tomorrow. Do not attempt to settle this in the field."

"Yes sir," Timmy, Brandon and Sky all answered as the headmaster walked off.

"Whatever," Riven answered, turning his cold eyes on his former friends before continuing on his way. He was already late for his duties with Jacob.

* * *

The mustang dragons, the most vicious and deadly of all the known classes of dragons, reared up in their stalls and slashed at the doors with their razor sharp talons, but whether their attacks were based out of an effort to escape or just the need to attack something the stable hands didn't know. With a high pitched scream, one of the dragons slammed its long neck and head against the sides of its stall, making the very rafters shake.

Although all the students had been give a chance to display the impressive skills they had learn during their schooling at Red Fountain, each grade had be provided a specific field in which to demonstrate their level of expertise. The freshmen's, with some help from a few sophomore spotters, displayed their skills with levi bike racing and techniques, the juniors would be showing off all their skill with advanced fighting simulations while the seniors were set to present an impressive aerial fight display using the school jets. But the dragons had been reserved for the sophomores. (3)

Due to the rarity of the particular breed of dragon, the school was unfortunately unable to provide every sophomore with their own individual dragon. In fact, they only had four in total. As a result, the sophomores had arranged a roster where each boys would get a chance to show their skill with dragon wrestling, and up first was Brandon, Prince Sky, Timmy and Riven.

Brandon glared at Riven as the boys waited on the main area for the dragons to enter the stadium. Everything had gone rather smoothly all morning. The King and Queen of Eraklyon had arrived that morning to over two hours of mind numbing ceremony. Being the dutiful soldiers they were, both Brandon and Sky remained within their ranks for the whole thing and tried not to pass out from the morning sun and standing at attention for so long like the rest of the Red Fountain boys (4).

The Royal Party was then offered a first class lunch provided by Jacob who had been cooking for over twenty-four hours in order to prepare, which again both Brandon and Sky declined in order for them to get some last minute practice in for the demonstrations that would be happening that afternoon. So far, both boys had managed to keep their distance from their King and Queen, and Brandon hadn't seen Diaspro anywhere.

All in all, the Day of the Royals was going quiet smoothly, for Brandon, that was until Riven decided to start messing things up. The red head had completely ignored Saladin's earlier warnings and as a result, Riven had cause Brandon to have a head on collision as well as totally ruining the freshmen's demonstrations. The sophomores were supposed to be there to help the freshmen's, not kill them.

Brandon would have really liked to give Riven a taste of the back of his hand, except the dragons arrival forced him to postpone it and try to get his anger under control. The telepathic connection he was going to have to try and establish with his dragon was also an empathic connection, meaning if the hero was angry or aggressive, the dragon would be too.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, from lands distant and unexplored, the mustang dragons!" the MC announced over the magical loud speakers. "These wild and dangerous beasts are the fiercest dragons in all the known realms. But fear not, for our sophomore's have mastered the art of dragon wrangling. Using only their mind energy, they will control creatures once thought uncontrollable."

Brandon's dragon, an impressive, azure beast that the stable hands had dubbed Cerulean due to the upper sides of his wings, stared at his master with its cold reptilian eyes. Dragons by nature did not like to be controlled and their strength made it impossible for one to do so physically, but they weren't the most strong minded and intelligent of the magical creatures, so they were easily overcome when attacked mentally. Cautiously, Brandon pushed his mind out towards Cerulean, covering the dragons mind with a hazy fog as he tried to gently smother its will with his own. This process was to be taken slowly, since if you violated a dragons mind too quickly, they can respond with a counter attack of their own, breaking free of the mental hold. Timmy and Sky were also being very cautious during this first, vital stage of dragon wrestling.

Riven on the other hand, managed to overpower his dragon mind much faster than the other boys. Over the last few months, Riven's dragons wrestling skills had improved astronomically. Even the teachers couldn't explain it. Even Rouge, a rather difficult mare, couldn't break free from his hold no matter how desperately she struggled. With a furious roar born out of both her and Riven's anger, Rouge took to the skies, followed by Cerulean and the other two dragons. Using hand signals and body langue, the boys strengthened their hold on the dragons and controlled them into the routine Cordatora had ordered them to conduct.

"Our students are demonstrating a dragon wrangling technique invented here at Red Fountain two centuries ago; a highly focus form of telepathic projection," the MC continued to announce, but Brandon couldn't hear him go into deep explanation on what they were doing. All heard was Riven hissing threats in his direction and with the way he had been carrying on lately, Brandon couldn't be certain if they were empty or not.

"I'm taking you down Brandon. You're history. I'm going to finish you off in front of this whole crowd," Riven threatened. His paranoia and emotionless state was making him desperate, and he was starting to lose touch with reality as his hallucinations continued to plague him, forcing him to make more and more reckless moves. Mind you, he wasn't stupid enough at attack Sky when his parents were looking on and he still couldn't bring himself to be so bestial to Timmy so that left only Brandon.

'What is with this guy?' Brandon thought to himself, pulling out his phantom boomerang. If Riven was going to try and take him out, Brandon was going to try and beat him to the punch.

Riven was, of course, completely oblivious to the whole thing. "I'm going to pulverize you and there's nothing you can do about it. As soon as I give him the signal he's going to swoop in and you're going to be humiliated in front of all these people."

Brandon rolled his eyes at Riven stupid threats and the fact that he still couldn't tell the difference between male and female in animals, and in a particular underhand maneuver, he cast his boomerang at Riven's unprotected back.

Riven jumped slightly as Brandon's boomerang shot past him. He wasn't really expecting Brandon to even attempt some form of retaliation, but apparently he had managed to push the blonde far enough to awaken that darker side of the golden boy. The bent stick suddenly arced around, and started to return to its master, but not before trying to go straight through Riven's chest. The burgundy clad student fell making his control over his dragon faltered slightly, unbalancing the creatures mind and forcing her to crash to the ground.

"You mean humiliated like that?" Brandon asked smugly, catching his boomerang. "I don't think so, buddy."

With an almost animal growl, Riven quickly regarded his dragon before getting to his feet. "Bad move," he hissed, taking control of his dragons mind again and twisting it in order to force it to attack Cerulean.

"What are you doing, Riven?" Brandon shouted as he watched Rouge's powerful jaws try to get a firm hold of Cerulean's long neck. "You're going to get out of control!"

Dragons were a particular species that, despite the fact that they could survive perfectly fine on their own, tended to prefer living in herds. (5) There was normally one dominate male and a majority of the herd would be female much like wild horses. The stallions would normally war one another while the mares would quarrel amongst themselves like a bunch of bad tempered high school girls so, with the exceptions of a few nipping, there was very little fighting between the two genders. Which is why, when Cerulean and Rouge began fighting, both boys could feel the dragons struggling to get free from their control in order to stop this abomination for their species.

Rouge let out an agonizing scream despite the fact that Cerulean was yet to get a good hit on her. It was almost as if she was being attacked by something besides the other dragon. The people in the stadium started to panic, and Brandon knew they couldn't continue on like this, no matter how badly he wanted to smash Riven.

"This is dangerous! Reign in your dragon now, or I'll do it for you!" Brandon threatened, and when Riven failed to call off his attack, Brandon focused his mental energy and pushed it out toward Rouge, who had her back arched as she silently screamed and thrashed in the air.

During the time that had practiced with the dragons, Brandon had worked almost exclusively with Cerulean, and although he had never entered Rouge's mind before, he knew instantly that something wasn't right. The empathic link between dragons and hero was a two way street, and Brandon was alarmed as a massive wave of paranoia and fear washed over him. It was so overpowering, Brandon nearly dropped the connection, but he quickly recovered and tried to push past the churning waves of emotion to get a firmer hold of the dragons mind.

And then, even more shocking that the initial emotion that hit him when he first entered Rouge's mind, was that just beyond that was a vast emptiness. As Brandon entered that part of the mind, he could feel all his own emotions suddenly drain away, leaving him in an unnatural emotionless state. He could still feel Riven's presence within the dragons mind pushing at his own presence to try and force him out of Rogue's head and regain control.

Brandon could feel Rouge reeling as the battle continued on within the vaults of her mind, but he could also feel both him and Riven losing their grip on the dragons mind. Finally, overcome with pain, the dragons collapsed from the sky, forcing the two students out of her head. But just before he lost contact, Brandon heard Darcy's voice whispering to him almost as if he was recalling some forgotten memory.

_You're mine. _

Riven glared at his former friend, who was shaking slightly after that intense mental struggle. "Now you're gonna get it!"

Brandon watched in horror as Riven re-entered Rouge's mind, causing the dragon to flinch as he re-broke her. Painfully, the mare took to the skies, and Brandon quickly moved Cerulean in to try and with hold her if nothing else.

"Hey man! Calm down!" Brandon begged. He was badly shaken by the emotional rollercoaster that had just occurred to him, but he knew if they didn't stop, Rouge's sanity would be ruined forever.

But Riven would hear nothing of it. "No way! First I'm gonna kick your dragon's butt and then I'm gonna kick yours!"

Brandon physically flinched as he felt Cerulean suffer a devastating blow from Rouge. With a powerful crash, the azure dragon fell to the ground, causing Riven to burst out laughing.

"What is wrong with you?" Brandon asked the out of control red head. He knew Riven was messed up, but this was just plain horrifying. How could anyone be that cruel?

Before Riven could answer, however, Codatorta leapt out of the stands to land on the head of Timmy's dragon, Saffron, and rode over to the commotion. Pulling out his whip, the combat instructor herded the dragons backwards toward the stable gates.

"Back in your pens! Move it!"

Brandon would have no doubt be silently crapping himself due to the massive punishment that would no doubt be facing him if he wasn't to busy studying Riven's face to try and understand just what was going on behind those lifeless, violet eyes. He had thought Riven had simply been acting like a jerk, but after that clash within the dragons mind he was being to suspect that there was something else that he wasn't aware of.

And then, any chance Codatorta may have had to rip into his disobedient students was denied as the ground underneath their feet suddenly split open and two figures flew up from the passageways below. Dust and other bit of debris filled the air, making it impossible to see.

"Who goes there?" Codatorta demanded. "Who dares disturb the Day of the Royals?"

As the dust cleared, Brandon suddenly felt sick when he saw who the two figures were. One had perfectly flawless skin, stunning golden eyes and pale blonde hair dressed in an attire of creams and a deep royal red. The other, a fairy clad in pale with matching blue eyes and flaming red hair.

"Bloom?" Brandon gasped as he watched the two fairies hovered above him. This wasn't possible? It just couldn't be? Did fate really hate him that much?

"Stay away from Brandon!" Bloom shouted sounding very territorial.

"Brandon?" Diaspro repeated with a certain level of disgust before attacking Bloom with what both Brandon and Sky recognized as her Crown Jewel attack. "You mean that little squire boy? He's all yours!"

Bloom easy blocked her attack with fire shield before retaliating with an attack of her own. With extreme grace and accuracy, Bloom managed to shoot out each of Diaspro's Crowned Jewels.

"That's not good," Sky flinched, his brown eyes wide. None of this was good.

"No! My Crowned Jewels!" Diaspro squealed, suddenly realizing her adversary was much stronger than she was. Her golden eyes widened when she saw the amount of energy the Alfea fairy had gathered in her hand. That type of magic just wasn't possible!

"Gotcha!" Bloom cheered as her attack aimed true, sending the princess hurling to the ground.

"Diaspro!" Brandon called, running over to his fallen fiancée. He may not like the girl in the same way that he like Bloom, but the Princess of Quartz had taken a pretty hard hit and it was his duty to make sure she was alright.

Bloom, however, looked like she had just been hit. "You know her?"

Before Brandon could explain anything, Diaspro got to her feet and ran over to embrace him. "Oh! Sky!"

"Huh?" Timmy suddenly gasped, looking and who he thought was Prince Sky for answers which the brunette seemed unable to give.

Bloom seemed as confused as everyone else. "Brandon?"

"You worthless fan! His name isn't Brandon!" Diaspro snarled, taking everyone by surprise.

"Wait! What?" Riven growled.

"It is Sky; Prince of Eraklyon," Diaspro continued, "and my beloved fiancée. Now you – "

"Bloom!" Brandon – or should I say _Prince Sky_ – pleaded, pushing past his fiancée to speak to the red haired fairy. "Let me explain. I – "

"You don't need to explain anything," Bloom cut him off as she dropped to the ground, he head hung low. Sky (the real one) could hear in her voice that she was extremely close to tears, and it made his guts twist in self loathing to hear it. "I'm sorry for what I did to your . . . your . . . _fiancée."_

"Bloom," he begged as she all but spat out that final word, but anything else he may have had to say was cut off by his father, the King of Eraklyon, shouting from his seat.

"Squire! Over here!" the King bellowed. "Now! Squire!"

The brunette known as Brandon bolted past a completely confused Timmy and Riven to kneel before his king, unaware that the Princess of Solaria was currently watching him and everything he did. "My lord."

"Where's the security?" the King demanded. "We pay your tuition to Red Fountain so you can protect our son! This is an embarrassment and a disgrace!"

Brandon – as in the real one – physically flinch as he watched his King and Queen march off. He knew he and Sky had a lot to answer for, and he could practically feel Timmy and Riven's eyes burning into him, demanding an explanation.

"Bloom! Please, I – "

"I have nothing more to say to you!" Bloom informed him, trying her best to shield herself from the eyes of the stadium, especially Faragonda.

"But I – " Sky started, but he was suddenly cut off by a furious Musa.

"You heard her, your _highness_," the musical fairy spat. The entire Winx Club was here and they did not look impressed to see him.

"If you'd just let me explain! I – "

"I think you've done enough talking," Tecna said, her voice like steel. Even Flora, who didn't have an unkind bone in her body, seemed mad at him. "I suggest we leave. Now!"

"One second," Stella informed the group, her honey gold eyes burning as Brandon – the boy who had told her he was really Prince Sky – came running over to her.

"Stel – "

_Slap!!_

Brandon stumbled backwards, his cheek stinging. Stella didn't even let him finish saying her name before she slapped him. Her honey eyes that used to look at him so lovingly now scorned into him, her flawless skin glowing in anger.

"I never want to see you ever again," she told him in a low tone that was actually shaking in rage. And then, turning on heel she left with one last flick of her golden hair and the rest of the Winx Club followed suit, a sobbing Bloom in the middle.

"Bloom!" Sky tried to go after her, but Diaspro somehow found her way into his arms, blocking his path, forcing Sky to simply watch the crying fairy leave with her friends. Brandon was trying to follow them to straighten everything out but they weren't listening.

"Sky! Sweetie! I have missed you so much," Diaspro told him with a pouting little smile.

"Not now, Diaspro," Sky told her, trying to untangle himself from her arms. He had to talk to Bloom. He couldn't let her leave like this with so many unanswered questions. Who knows what she might do.

"But Sky!"

"Not now! I've got to – " Sky started, but he was cut off by someone clearing their throat, and he looked up to see Headmaster Saladin staring down at him for the stands.

"I would like to see you in my office, if you don't mind," Saladin said in an even tone that could match Javelin's, and it made Sky feel all the more worse.

Shamefully, he hung his head. "Yes sir."

How did everything go so wrong?

* * *

"Stella!" Brandon called, bolting down the hallway to catch up with her and the rest of the Winx Club, but unfortunately, they didn't want to speak with him and were setting an unmatchable pace. Flora had even gone so far as setting a plant on him in an attempt to delay him, but the brunette was not going to give up on the girl of his dreams so easily. "Stella! Please! Just listen! We – "

Brandon's words and his pursuit was suddenly cut off by someone grabbing him sharply by the front of his uniform and pulling him around a corner before pinning him roughly up against the wall. Brandon tried to block out the stinging pain in his back as he stared into Riven's dead violet eyes. The aggressive student wasn't a towering inferno of fury like Brandon expected him to be. Instead, he was as cold as ice, making it all the more horrible. Standing behind the hulking specialist was Timmy, who looked torn between getting the answers he wanted and Riven's brutish was of obtaining them.

"You better start talking, Brandon or whoever the hell you are," Riven snarled between clenched teeth. "What the hell was that all about back there?"

"Er . . . " Brandon stammered. After everything that had happened, he didn't think he could handle if Timmy was to turn his back on him. But Riven wasn't going to let him sidestep him this time.

"Answer me!" Riven spat, slamming Brandon back against the wall.

"Riven!" Timmy scolded, but Riven ignored him.

"That girl back there said that you were Brandon and that Brandon was Sky and her fiancée. Now I better get an explanation or I'm going to smash you so hard they won't be able to use dental records anymore to identify your remains."

"Riven! You're choking him!"

"Start talking Brandon!"

"Alright!" Brandon gasped, trying to loosen Riven's hold on his collar. "Diaspro's right! I'm not really Prince Sky! Me and the real Sky switched places just before we started school here last year. Sky wanted to see what it would be like not to be royalty for a change."

"So you just decided to lie to us for the last two years!" Riven snarled, slamming Brandon against the wall again and retightening his grip on the squire's collar. He could see the veins appearing on Brandon's neck and how his face was starting to go red, but Riven really didn't care. The little lair deserved it.

"We didn't mean . . . for it to get . . . this far," Brandon struggled out. "Riven . . . I can't breathe!"

"Let him go!" Timmy ordered, ripping Riven's hold on the brunette free. Brandon dropped to the ground, coughing and panting for air while Riven turn on the other boy.

"They lied to you, Timmy!" Riven hissed. "Can't you see that? For the last two years they've been standing around preaching about honor and nobility and yet they've been lying to us from day one!"

"I sure they didn't mean – "

"Didn't mean what? Don't be an idiot, Timmy! They knew exactly what they were doing. They lied to all of us! You! Me! Saladin! Their damn harpies! They knew they were betraying us and they did it anyway!"

"Well, I guess you and I have something in common, huh Riven?" Brandon spat. As shitty as his situation was, he was not going to let Riven get to thinking he had the moral high road on him. Riven turned his cold eyes back to Brandon, before ripping him to his feet and slamming him against the wall again.

"That's right. You and golden boy can't judge yourself higher than me anymore. You're just as vial as I am now," Riven snarled, his words hitting Brandon harder than either of them could have ever imagined. "I may have done some pretty rotten things in my time, but at least you can always trust me to be dishonest. You, on the other hand, say one thing and do another. Don't forget, _Brandon_, forgery's a crime so you can't judge me anymore. All I've done is forge a couple of signatures every now and then, but you managed to steal an entire identity. That's impressive. You might make a decent criminal after all."

"I'd rather be a criminal than a puppet," Brandon growled.

_Smash!!_

Riven watch coldly as Brandon fell to the ground, clutching his jaw where Stella had slapped him and where Riven had now punched him. On impulse, Timmy moved to help his fallen friend, but stopped mid stride, no longer sure wither or not he thought of Brandon as a friend. Riven did have a point after all. Both Brandon and Sky had lied to him which ever way you looked at it. Timmy didn't know if he could ever trust them again after this.

"If Brandon or Sky or whoever his is was to be put in any kind of danger, you as his squire are supposed to lay down your life for him. He wanted to know what it was like not to be royal and you gave him your name and everything about you. He told you to keep this secret from everyone and you never breathed a word of it. Which one of us is the puppet?" Riven asked, moving off. He hadn't got very far before Javelin blocked his path.

"Riven, Saladin wants – " the instructor started, but Riven already knew what he was going to say.

"I'm going," Riven snapped, brushing past the quiet teacher and heading for Saladin's office. Javelin then turned to regard the brunette who was still sitting on the ground.

"Headmaster Saladin would also like to see you in his office as well, Sky. Um, I mean Brandon."

"Yes sir," Brandon nodded, dropping his head. The instructor then left on silent feet, leaving Brandon alone with a very uncertain Timmy. "I didn't mean for it to happen like this. I swear! Timmy! You have to believe me!"

Timmy finally looked at his friend, and Brandon could see the hurt in his eyes from the betrayal.

"I know you didn't," Timmy assured, but his look didn't make Brandon feel any better. "But the truth still stands that you lied to me. You lied to all of us. How do you think Stella's feeling right now? Do you care?"

"Of course I do," Brandon almost sobbed. "But, you gotta understand, Sky, he – "

"You still could have told us. We would have kept your secret but you choose not to trust us and now I don't know if I can trust you anymore."

"Timmy! Please! It's not that I didn't trust you, you have to believe that! It's just that it was so complicated and . . . and . . . You know you can trust me! It's me! I – "

"But what does that mean anymore!" Timmy snapped, cutting off what ever Brandon had to say. "'It's me'. I don't even know who you are anymore! Are you Brandon or are you Prince Sky! I can't tell! Is there anything else you need to tell me? Like is Lady really a cat? Cause I feel like I don't know anything about any of my friends anymore!"

A horrible silence fell onto the friends as neither of them could look at each other. Timmy felt far too betrayed and Brandon was too far into self loathing and guilt for something like that.

"I'm sorry Timmy," Brandon finally whispered. "I really am."

"I know," Timmy said softly. "I just need some time to think, that's all."

And then, Timmy purposely turned his back on Brandon and walked away.

* * *

When Brandon finally entered the foyer outside of Saladin's office, he instantly saw that Sky was already there, seated on one to the couches staring at the ground. The blonde look absolutely miserable and Brandon didn't blame him. Everything had blown up in the faces today, ruining everything.

"Hey," Brandon greeted glumly, talking a seat by his prince. "Saladin in there?"

"Yeah," Sky nodded. "He called Riven in first since he thinks that out talk will be longer. So, did you manage to catch up with Stella and the others?"

Brandon shook his head. "No. Riven wanted to have a little chat and cut off my airways. I talked to Timmy but, and he said he needs some time to try and sort all this out. I think he feels like we betrayed him."

"We basically did," Sky pointed out sadly.

The two boys became silent, lost in their own thoughts, and try as he might Brandon couldn't keep Riven's voice out of his head. _Which one of us is the puppet?_ The squire knew that Sky would never use him the way Riven was trying to suggest, but he couldn't stop highlight the fact that it was originally all Sky's idea to switch places and it had been Sky who had been against telling Timmy when they first found out his parents were going to be coming to the Day of the Royals.

'We're friends,' Brandon reminded himself. 'Sky doesn't care that I'm his squire. He cares about my feelings. Hell, he was the one always trying to set me up with Stella. He doesn't think of me as his servant or a lackey that just follows him around ready to accept the blame. It's not like that. We're friends.'

"You gonna join me for dinner with my parents?" Sky asked, breaking his friend out of his thoughts.

"I dunno. I don't think your dad's too pleased with me at the moment."

"Hey, it'll be fine once we explain everything to them," Sky assured, but Brandon didn't feel as confident. As much as he didn't want to he couldn't help but think that maybe he would have been better off if had never become Sky's squire. He would have never swamped identities and lied to all his friends, he would have never come to Red Fountain and met Stella which meant he would never have felt as horrible as he did right now for lying to her. For the first time, Brandon was tired of following orders and doing as duty demanded. He was just sick of the whole thing.

"Um, actually Sky, I was thinking . . . um . . . maybe it would be best if we gave each other a little space until this whole thing blows over."

"What?" Sky gasped, his face distraught. "Dude, we can't do that. Not now. I mean, Timmy's not talking to us and I'm sure Riven will try and kill us if we cross his path now. We gotta stick together. That's what friends do. What do you say?"

Brandon was about to agree, when Riven's voice suddenly flashed through his mind.

_Which one of us is the puppet?_

"I'm sorry Sky, but I just need sometime to work this all out like Timmy. It's nothing personal, it's just something I've got to do."

Sky's face fell. Everyone he cared about was turning his back on him. A few months about he had more friends at one time then most people have in a life time, but that had all changed. It had started with Riven, then the Winx Club followed, then Timmy and now he oldest friend was distancing himself from him. Everything was going up in smoke and he was helpless to do anything about it.

"Sure Brandon. I understand," he sighed, and then silence filled the room again.

* * *

Visits to Saladin's office had become a common occurrence for Riven over the last year, but never before had the burgundy specialist seen the headmaster so troubled. For the first time, Saladin seemed to show his age and his fragile health, and it upset Riven more than he cared to admit that the old man may only have a couple of years left before his was gone for good. It had been Saladin that had taken Riven off the streets after the young teen had failed to pick his pocket without him noticing. Instead of beating him to within an inch of his life which was a common punishment for pickpockets and one Riven had suffered through more than once, Saladin enrolled him in a foster care program that feed him, housed him and taught him the basics such as reading and writing until he was old enough to go to Red Fountain on a scholarship set up by Saladin himself. (6)

And now Riven was throwing all that back in his face. Riven knew he should feel guilty, but he didn't. Gods knows he wanted to feel that guilt. That was the sole reason he had attempted to ruin the Day of Royals. He figured that if he did something horrible of that magnitude then maybe he'd finally be able to feel some remorse. But it didn't work and now he had attacked a prince in front of the King and Queen. He had consciously avoided who he thought to be Prince Sky for that very reason, but that whole swamping of identities really messed everything up.

"What are you doing Riven?" Saladin sighed, speaking for the first time since Riven had entered the room a few minutes ago. When Riven failed to answer, the headmaster asked again, still not looking up from the paper work in front of him. "You are aware that there is a council of your teachers and a few of the schools board members that will be held in order to discuss whither or not there will be a place for you here next year?"

"Yes sir," Riven answered, staring down at his feet. He was in trouble now. The school board never wanted him here to begin with.

"Riven, what would happen to you if you were to leave these halls?" Saladin asked, and again Riven didn't answer. He didn't have to. Both he and Saladin knew that there was really only one option for Riven if he didn't graduate; he'd go back to a life of crime, and no one really lived long in that profession. Finally, Saladin looked at his student. "Is there anything you wish to tell me?"

Riven hesitated for a second. There was so much he wanted to say that he just couldn't bring himself to do. The lack of pain and feeling not to mention the threat that kept being whispered to him over and over again in his mind. Maybe Saladin could help with those. Maybe he could explain them. But then again, maybe he couldn't.

"No sir."

Saladin sighed, dropping his eyes again. "Well, then I think we've said everything that needs to be said. Would you please send Brandon and Sky in when you leave?"

"Yes sir," Riven said, coming to attention before existing the office. Both Sky and Brandon were waiting on the foyer outside, and Riven told them to go inside with a sharp jerk of his head. He still wasn't speaking to him, not after the lies they had told.

Their eyes firmly fixed on the ground, Sky and Brandon entered the Headmasters office to offer him their explanation and possibly face their punishment.

* * *

_From this point onwards, you really don't see any of the guys together till they get to Sprax to rescue the girls. Normally they're fighting alongside one another, and yet the only time we see them in the same frame during the fighting at Red Fountain is when Brandon gets saved by Knut and Timmy's in the background. That it. There is no other interaction other than that. Nd I plan to use that to further my story._

_(1) Somewhere in this episode Diaspro attacks seem to be linked to jewels and other precious stone. One of the attacks she used was called Quartz Attack or something like that and since all the fairies in this show seem to have powers that reflex their realms I'm making Diaspro the Prince of the Realm of Quartz. In the second season the Right Wrongers say what realm she's from but I don't care, I'm sticking with Quartz because it fits her powers, it give the impression that she's from a rich realm which would explain why Sky's parents are so desperate to form an alliance with them and the Q and the Z gives a very 'in a galaxy far, far away' feel, like the X in Sparx. Also, Quartz Ladies Collage is Diaspro's school since she clearly doesn't go to Alfea_

_(2) I've always pictured Riven growing up on streets ruled by gang warfare where everyone carries guns or some other kind of weapons and everyone has a short temper. Kinda like what Baz Luhrmann did in his version of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet where they live in a gun carrying society so everyone's armed to the teeth – literally – and a fight in constantly bubbling away just under the surface _

_(3) I always found it odd that the Day of the Royals was supposed to show off all of Red Fountains students and yet we only really see the four boys taking the stage. It's to be expect I know since no one cares about the freshman John Smith but still. There are other people at that school _

_(4) I hated standing through ceremonies while with the cadets. I nearly passed out after standing in pollies (our dress uniform. Very hot and uncomfortable not to mention it was also a bitch to keep looking good since we had to polish all the brass and iron it perfect) in the sun on Anzac Day. I ended throwing up afterwards because of it but I guess it could have been worse. I've heard of a guy who passed out during parade and broke his jaw. Nasty _

_(5) I've made the dragons much like wild horses _

_(6) I've always found it odd that a homeless kid with no money could go to a school that a boy from a good home like Brandon couldn't afford without the Kings help_

_TBC_


	18. Senior Witches go to Earth

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen – Senior Witches goes to Earth**

Sky stared pointlessly at his breakfast, pushing his food around his plate. Jacob had really out done himself with his recent food, but Sky wasn't hungry. His mother and father were over looking a few papers that had been sent to them over night in regards to the affairs of Eraklyon. It never failed to amaze Sky how they couldn't even go one night without working. Growing up, Sky's parents had rarely been around. His mother was always off with her charity work while his father was always shut up in his room working on his latest novel, and that was when they weren't tending to their royal duties. Sky had been raised by the servants and his nanny, and until he met Brandon and his family, he had no idea how real families were supposed to behave.

It was kinda sad, but Sky had always view Brandon and his family as the family he had never known. Brandon's mother was lovely and would never miss a chance to feed or scold somebody. Brandon's father was a royal guard at Eraklyon's Royal Palace, and had given Sky more advice and guidance than his real father ever did. Then, of course, there was Brandon and his little brother Will who were now the siblings Sky had always wished for.

"Lord and Lady Volgand are hosting a masquerade ball next month," the Queen announced to her King. Sky inwardly groaned. He hated the Volgands. "It's a fundraiser."

"Well it would be best if we make an appearance," the King agreed, not looking up from his own papers. Sky's blue eyes narrowed. His father didn't even ask what it was fundraising for. He didn't care about the cause.

"So what was with that girl yesterday?" Diaspro asked her fiancée. Sky had managed to avoid her virtually all last night by speaking to his parents in private and then going for a long walk with Lady with his phone turned off. "She was absolutely horrid to me. Seriously, I don't know how they let staff like her into this place."

"She's not staff. She goes to Alfea," Sky corrected.

"But where is she from originally?" Sky's mother asked, looking up over her papers. "Miss Faragonda said that she wasn't very accustomed to dignitaries. How is that with this day and age?"

"Er, she's from Earth and apparently their Royal Families are a bit distant from the public."

His mouth clicked her tongue in a disapproving manner. "They're not performing their royal duties then."

"Earth?" Diaspro repeated. "_Eurk!_ What crass place to come from. I'd be far to horrified to admit that I come from a place like Earth. How did she even get here?"

"Princess Stella of Solaria found her and we managed to persuade her to come," Sky said, recalling the memory of when he had the rest of the guys had first gone to Earth and ended up taking on a troll. That seemed like so long ago.

"Princess Stella? She's still hanging around?" Diaspro scoffed. "She's such an embarrassment for royalties ever where. I mean who fails freshmen year? It's like the easiest ever. And the way she carries on . . . my goodness. I can't even put it into words it's that distasteful. And was that Princess Musa I saw her with? That entire Nebular has gone down the drain ever since that musician of a father of hers was born. I mean, he married a _commoner._"

"Diaspro," Sky scolded, not liking the way she said the word commoner like it was a disease.

"You know he's not even a prince anymore. I'm not sure who the heir to that throne is now."

"Diaspro dear, that's enough," Sky's mother interrupted. "It's unladylike to speak that way."

"I'm terribly sorry, your Majesty. Do forgive me," Diaspro bowed her head slightly.

"Of course, child."

Sky's eyes narrowed as he resisted the urge to scream. It was all so fake! This act! This false propriety! It wasn't real! Sky finally understood why he was so reluctant to tell the truth about who he was; because everything and everyone he valued he had discovered when he turned his back on his title and royal life! His favorite memories on Eraklyon weren't within the palace walls! They were when he was at Brandon's house fighting for the last buckie-by sandwich or getting yelled at by Brandon's mother because he and Brandon hadn't been looking out for Will like she had told them too and he had come home wet, or muddy or bleeding. Some of the most important people in his life had no rank what-so-ever. Timmy's father was a common technician and scientist and yet Timmy could beat the pants off Sky in almost every field. Riven didn't even know who is parents were and yet he had opened all of them up to a world that Sky could have never known. And Bloom . . .

And Bloom . . . He couldn't put into words how much she had changed him.

But now all that was gone, and Sky was in the superficial world of royalty with a girl he had no feelings for and pretending to care about Lords and Lady's and fundraising with no cause.

It was pushing him to breaking point.

* * *

Brandon dropped his tray with his breakfast onto the table and sat down heavily. The red head next to him looked a bit surprised to find the now outted squire sitting next to him, but he didn't chase him off.

"You right man?" the other specialist asked Brandon.

"Yeah, Kane. I'm fine," Brandon mumbled, pushing his eggs around his plate. Riven's roommate gave the brunette a sympathetic look, before returning to his breakfast. "Where's Riven?"

"Don't know and don't care," Kane said coldly. "He went out last night and hasn't been back since. Probably out with that witch of his. Why aren't you sitting with Timmy?"

Brandon looked over his shoulder at his 'friend' who was sitting with Toby. "I don't think he wants me to sit with him."

Kane exchanged a look with his friend Dave before returning his attention to the sulking squire. "You know, none of us really give a damn about what your rank is. That kinda thing doesn't matter in a place like this. I for one tend to judge people on their attitude. Riven could be the Emperor of the Universe and I'd still think he's a jerk."

Brandon snorted a laugh.

"Title's are nothing more than thin air that drags people down," Kane told Brandon. "Don't let one you never even had get you down. My grandpa used to always tell me that the most important and difficult person to please is yourself. If anyone tries to makes to lose sight of that, they're not worth your time."

Brandon looked up at Kane for the first time since sitting down. "Thanks man."

"Anytime," Kane grinned back, but that smile suddenly dropped when one of those people who aren't worth your time made their way over to their table.

"I always knew there was something not right about you," Justin sneered, sitting down to one side of Brandon. "From day one I knew you lacked that blue blood behavior that most royalty have."

"Go away Justin," Brandon warned as Rowan shoved Kane away so he could sit on the other side of the squire. Marcus and the rest of Justin's goons were there as well, but Brandon kept his eyes on his breakfast.

"Why? We're just getting reacquainted," Justin snarled. "Only this time we're going to do it right and I will be the respected son of a duke, and you will be the lowly son of a sentry."

"He's a royal guard," Brandon hissed between his teeth. He was not going to let Justin get to him, but he also wasn't going to let him insult his father.

"Like it makes a difference. You better watch your back, squire, 'cause you've now got a target on it," Justin threatened, getting up and messing up Brandons hair. Rowan reached over and flipped Brandon's food tray and all his breakfast into Brandon lap as the lacrosse goons walked off laughing.

Brandon sat where he was for a second, trying desperately to keep his emotions under control. A few months ago, Sky had three of the closet friends he had ever had, a gorgeous girlfriend and a strong support team when it came to dealing with dickheads like Justin. But as of yesterday, he had lost all that. He could still remember the toast he had made at the start of the school year, and now that he looked back on it he had to laugh at fate's cruel idea of humor.

_To the new year! May this year be filled with adventure, danger, beautiful women and friendship!_

What a joke that was now. He had had a few tastes of danger and adventure, but that bit about beautiful women and friendship had really gone belly up. With a sigh, Brandon retrieved his breakfast for his lap and moved off to get cleaned up.

* * *

"Your Majesty, Prince Sky requests an audience with you," Sky's father chamberlain announced as Sky stood on the other side of the door leading into the quarters provided for his parents.

"Send him in."

The King of Eraklyon sat at his desk, his laptop open in front of him. Sky knew without asking that it must be his latest novel and he didn't bother asking about it. The first time he would ever lean about the plot of the story was when it would come out in stores. Those months of silence from his father always killed the prince.

"Father," Sky greeted with a slight bow of his head.

"You're mothers gone to Alfea for an hour or so and then we'll be off. I suggest you spend sometime with your fiancée before we go," the king suggested, not looking up from his screen.

"Yeah, 'bout that. I – "

"I think you mean to say '_yes_, father, _about _that'," his father corrected. "Just because you are surrounded by soldiers and commoners doesn't mean you are to talk like them."

"Yes father, but about Diaspro," Sky said, his stomach in knots. He had never stood up to his father before and he sure picked a hell of a time to start. "Um, I'm not certain I wish to marry her."

The King of Eraklyon stopped typing and for the first time looked at his son. "I beg your pardon?"

"Diaspro, I don't think I want to marry her," Sky repeated. "You see father, over the last year I have been spending time with one of the fairies from Alfea; Bloom."

"The Earth girl?"

"Yes, and I honestly believe I've developed real feelings for this girl, unlike what I feel for Diaspro."

"Sky," the king sighed, getting up and walking over to his only son and heir. "Princess Diaspro is heir to the throne of Quartz; a realm that possesses the most extensive gem mines in the universe. She is a fine, beautiful young lady that you are blessed to be joined too. Are you not proud that your father has brought to you such a worthy lady to be you're bride?"

"Not, no proud," Sky answered honestly. "Thankful, but never proud (1). I could never be happy with Diaspro."

"Sky, please. Stop this foolishness. You are a prince and heir to the throne of Eraklyon. People in our position sometimes have to overlook our own happiness for the sake of our people. Do you understand?"

"Yes father," Sky sighed, hanging his head.

"Excellent," the king grinned, going back to take his seat once more. "By the way I was overlooking your student files and I'm not all too impressed with the individuals they have chosen to be in your squadron. I can understand why you may want the squire with you since he is supposed to be protecting you. Poorly, perhaps, but protecting you none the less and you need your countrymen close. The other two, however, were unacceptable."

"Father?"

"This Timothy boy. Where is he from?"

"Windox."

"Ah, yes. I imagine he would be a bit of a computer wiz. Mind you, his father has very low class. I was thinking of having a word with Headmaster Saladin and getting you transferred to another squadron. Perhaps Duke Corneal's son, Justin."

"Justin?" Sky gasped, his anger rising. He could not believe his father was thinking of putting him through that kind of torture.

"He's got a good family. I'm sure you'll get along splendidly with him."

"He's a dick!"

"I beg your pardon?" the king choked out. His son never took that tone or used such language with him before. "I am trying to set you up with the right kind of people to improve your future. Who do you think would be more beneficial for you to befriend; Justin, the son of a powerful Duke, or that street rat Riven, the bastard son of prostitute."

Sky snapped. He may not be talking to Riven, but Sky wasn't about to let anyone talk about him like that. But his rage was more from the shallow way his father viewed the world than anything else. "No one knows who his mother is let alone what her profession was."

"I can make assumptions."

"How can you judge these people when you don't even know them?!"

"I saw the way that boy was acting yesterday and Justin comes from a good family."

"That doesn't mean anything! You can't tell shit from blood lines other than who married their cousin!"

"Sky! That is enough!"

"Not it isn't!" Sky refused to back down. "You're so far above everyone with your blue blood and arranged marriages you've lost touch with reality! Eraklyon isn't free of poverty! No where is! But you go on with your masquerade ball fundraisers for the mildly inspiring end and close your eyes to what's really going on out there! Your whole life is a masquerade hidden behind the mask of duty!"

"I will not be talked to like this, boy. You forget your place."

"It's right here at Red Fountain with my friends and Bloom, and no gem mine is going to tempt me away!"

"You say that now, but you will eventually realize that the best future for you is with Diaspro," the king warned.

"If that's true, then break off my engagement with her so if I go back to her it's because I know I want to be with her," Sky begged. "Please!"

The king was silent for the longest amount of time as he contemplated his sons request. Never before had Sky had such passion to stand up to him for something he believed him like that, and when you really got down to it, all Sky was asking for was a chance to make up his own mind about something. And the King remembered a time when he wished to call off his own arranged marriage to Sky's mother for a servant girl, only he never had the guts to admit it to his own father.

"I will think about it," the king finally caved a fraction. "You're dismissed."

Without a word, Sky left his father to his typing.

* * *

"Where are you?" Riven demanded to Darcy over his phone. She was supposed to meet him an hour ago at the Black Lagoon. He had gone out for a minute and when he got back her and her sisters were gone.

"Something came up."

"What?"

"I'll tell you later," Darcy promised, her voice rushed. "Listen, can I call you back? I've got something I need to deal with. Thanks, bye."

Before Riven could give an answer, Darcy hung up on him and headed off to Earth, though Riven didn't know that.

"Stupid bitch," Riven hissed, shoving his phone in his pocket. He really didn't want to be at Red Fountain right now, and since his idea of wasting time with Darcy had fallen through, it left him with one option. "Guess I'll just go waste time in one of Magix's pubs."

* * *

Sky sat alone in his room, staring at the floor. He had no idea where the others where and he didn't think they'd want to see him even if he did. He knew Timmy felt utterly betrayed by his and Brandon's secret, and his distance hurt Sky greatly. He couldn't remember a time when it was Timmy not talking to them. Usually the fights involved Riven, Brandon or Sky, but never Timmy. He was always the one playing peace keeper and putting an end to their squabbles before they got to far out of hand. Without Timmy and his logical thinking as referee everything was spinning out of control. Riven had turned his back on them completely. He wasn't even dealing out threats anymore.

And then there was Brandon.

Sky couldn't remember a time that Brandon didn't have his back since they had become friends. They had had their fair share of arguments in the past – all friends did – but nothing like this. Sky wasn't even certain if this could be called a fight. There had been no yelling, name calling and punches like all the other fights. Instead there was just cold distance, and Sky found that hurt more than any punch.

Sky guessed Brandon did have an excuse not to be talking to him. After all, it had been his idea in the first place to switch places. Sure, Brandon had been curious to see what it would be like to be treated like royalty, but he wasn't as keen about the idea as Sky was. It had been the blonde who had really pushed it and it had been the blonde who had been the most reluctant to change back. And now because of Sky's selfishness, Brandon had lost all his friends as well, and most importantly, he had lost Stella.

"No wonder he isn't talking to me," Sky sighed aloud, running a stressed hand through his blonde hair. He knew his friends needed their space in order to sort everything out, but being so fractured like this was killing the prince. It had all started with the Day of the Rose and had just escalated from there.

_Knock! Knock!_

"Come in," Sky instantly replied, hoping that perhaps one of his friends had decided that he was still the same person despite his change in rank. But when the person entered his room he had to do his best not to let his disappointment show on his face. "Hello mother. How was Alfea?"

"It's changed a bit since I graduated from there, but it's still quite marvelous," the queen answered, observing one of the dressers in the room. "I just spoke with your father. It appears that you wish to call off your engagement to Diaspro."

"That is correct," Sky nodded.

"May I inquire into why that is?"

"Because I don't feel that she's the right girl for me," Sky answered. "And I realise that she is very beautiful and charming and that she comes from a respectable royal family that would further Eraklyon greatly, but over the last year I've been spending a lot of time with a girl from Alfea; Bloom."

"The Earth girl? You're planning on leaving Princess Diaspro for an Earth girl?"

"I just want the chance to choose the girl that's right for me, that's all."

"You're a prince. You don't have that chance," his mother told him sternly. "In time you will come to find that it is the best option for your future. I had my own doubts and objections when they announced my arranged marriage to your father but with time I learnt it was for the best. The Royal House of Eraklyon is firmly set in tradition and it is our duty to serve our people the best way we can, and sometimes that means marrying the right girl. What could this Earth girl offer them? Not the wealth of the Quartz gem mines."

"I'm not asking for your permission to marry Bloom, I just want to be able to make up my own mind about it. If you're so certain that Diaspro and I are meant to be together than you should let me discover that on my own. Not force me into something like that. I hardly even know Diaspro and yet I'm supposed to be marrying her right after I graduate? That's insane."

"Stop being silly Sky. You know Diaspro very well. You even knew her before we arranged your engagement," his mother reminded him.

"I met her once and I was thirteen, mother! Do you really think I was looking at girls as potential wives at that age? No! I was probably still worried about cooties back then!"

"You will not take that tone with me, young man," his mother warned coldly, and Sky instantly recoiled. "I am still your mother and you are still my son. If I had my way about it we would not speak another word of this insanity and you will do as your duty to your country demands as I did when I was your age."

"But mother . . . " Sky begged softly, though he had no idea what he was going to say after that.

"Unfortunately, your words seemed to have gotten to your father and he has already contacted Diaspro's father and has postponed the engagement indefinitely," the queen informed her son, and Sky's heart soared. Finally, his father was acting like a real parent instead of a king. "You can only imagine what this is going to do to Eraklyon's relations with Quartz."

"Yes, but it's what I want."

"For now that may very well be true, but I hope you're not throwing your future away for a fantasy," his mother said coldly, heading for the door. "You father and I will be departing this afternoon on a later flight than was originally planned due to all these unseen dramas. Before we leave I expect you to inform Diaspro of your decision. I believe you owe her that much."

"Yes mother," Sky bowed slightly as the door snapped shut.

* * *

"So, is Saladin going to kick Brandon and Sky out for lying to him?" Toby asked as he, his roommate and Timmy walked through the stables to Toby's dragon was being stalled. Toby owned a pleasant Welsh gelding that was somewhat smaller and more even tempered than the rest of the dragons in the stables, but Toby loved him to death regardless.

"Nah, but Saladin's not to happy with them," his roommate Sally answered. Obviously Sally wasn't his real name, but since he acted like a real girl at times the other boys in the grade had given him that nick name and it stuck. Sally had given up caring about it, and he was fairly certain that there were boys in his grade that couldn't remember his real name as it was. "They're gonna have to swap all their test results and students files over to the right names which should be a hell of a lot of paper work."

"Do we have to talk about this?" Timmy muttered, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He still wasn't certain how he felt about his friends and their new identities. Riven was right, they had lied to him, and he wasn't sure if he could just forgive and forget about that.

He knew how everyone looked at him; the token computer nerd that everyone can walk over and yet he'll still come to their aid when they ask for it. So what if he liked to think and do his homework and not lash out at everything like Riven did? That didn't make him someone that everyone else could push around and he'd be fine with it. He had feelings too, and it hurt to think that Brandon and Sky didn't trust him enough to include them in their secret. He could have helped them, but they'd rather leave him out of the loop until they really needed his help. He wasn't some lackey who was simply waiting in the wings to come to their beckoning call. He was supposed he be their friend and he expected to be treated with some respect.

"Monty!" Toby called when they came to his dragons stall. "C'mere buddy!"

Monty reached his long neck over the side of the stall and dropped it down low enough for the boys to pat. He was one of the only dragons not to have his head haltered and tied up, and he warmly snuggled his head up against Toby's body. Unfortunately, he was such a massive beast despite the fact that he was rather small for his species, and Toby had to brace himself to avoid being pushed over.

"He's such a sook," Sally grinned, scratching the dragons head. Monty sniffed each of them in turned, and suddenly became very interested in Timmy, trying to stretch his neck to get closer, his long tail wagging like a dog.

"You've got some food on you, don't you?" Toby guessed, trying to push the dragon away.

"I think I've got half a peanut butter sandwich in my bag," Timmy confessed. "Can he eat that?"

"Most dragons breeders would say no, but he loves 'em for some reason," Toby shrugged as Timmy pulled out the sandwich he had grabbed at lunch from his bag. Monty carefully took it between his teeth, consciously trying to avoid biting Timmy in much the same way a dog might before lifting his neck up so he could eat his treat without the risk of the boys stealing it from him. "You're so spoiled."

Timmy had to grin at the 'dangerous' beasts behaviour, but that smile dropped slightly as a painfully angry roar suddenly filled the stables. "Huh?"

Around the corner in one of the other stall was the mustang dragon Rouge. She had been completely out of control since the fight she had yesterday with Cerulean and had to be completely contained. Her stall door was triple locked and had so much support on it so it would be impossible for her to bust out even if she wasn't chained. All her legs had been shackled so she could barely move, her wings and tail had been tied down, her neck collared and her mouth muzzled. But despite all her restraints, she still thrashed about, trying to get free and screaming in agony like she was being attacked.

"I'd steer clear of that one," one of the nearby stable hands warned Timmy as he left Sally, Toby and Monty to get a better look at the suffering Rouge. "That dragon's gone mad."

"What?" Timmy gasped, watching the dragons struggle helplessly against her chains.

"Yeah, she's been like that all night and hasn't let up once. We pumped enough tranquilizers into her to take down a stallion twice her size and she's still kickin'. Dunno what's wrong with her, but if we don't figure it out soon we'll have to put her down," the stable hand said, dumping a bucket of water into one of the other dragons water trough. "Shame really. She had so much potential."

Timmy stared at Rouge as the stable hand walked off with his empty bucket, and the specialist could help but recall how Javelin had said something similar about Riven a little while ago. Upon thinking of Riven, Timmy suddenly hated him as Rouge continued to thrash about, caught in the grips of madness and anger. What kind of monster violates another's mind like that? What kind of sick person twists someone else mind to their will to do their dark bidding and not care if they drove them into insanity and suffering or even death? Who would do that?

Shaking in rage, Timmy was just about to go find his former friend and give him a piece of his mind when Rouge suddenly stopped screaming and thrashing, and turned her orange eyes over to him, making the specialist freeze. He just couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Rouge's usually burning eyes were as cold as death and showed no sign of the pain and madness she was feeling. They were just hollow and they reminded Timmy so much of another pair of eyes that had lost their fire over the last few months. Rouge continued to watch him, as if she was pleading for him to help her. With a low bellow, she let out a sad cry before returning to her madness. Timmy reminded where he was, simply watching the thrashing dragon so a few seconds, and then he snapped sharply out of his shocked state. Diving into his bag, Timmy pulled out the copy of the book he had borrowed of the Library of Magix and flipped through the pages till he reached Chapter Twelve and he quickly re-read one of the paragraphs.

"You alright man?" Toby asked him from Monty's stall.

"Yeah," Timmy stuttered. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just . . . I just gotta go."

And without any further explanation, Timmy bolted from the stables towards Javelin's office, the copy of the _Ipswich Index_ still clutched tightly in his finger tips.

* * *

With the help of Lady, Sky managed to find Diaspro on one of the battlements, soaking in the afternoon sunlight. All her belongings had been packed and she was in her traveling clothes ready for the flight home.

"Well hello there, darling," she greeted Sky warmly, making him feel all the more horrible because of what he was about to do. "I was just sitting here thinking 'how in Magix can Sky stand to spend the whole year in a hole like this?' I mean, this place is so over do for a renovation it's not funny."

Sky's eyes narrowed slightly and he suddenly remembered why he preferred Bloom over Diaspro. "It's a historical fortress."

"Historical is just another word for outdated," Diaspro said, flicking her blonde hair over one shoulder. "Did I tell you daddy's giving me more control over the affairs of Quartz? So now I can finally do something about all those people with ghastly fashion taste. Seriously, I think wearing the wrong outfit should be a crime." (2)

'Even Stella would go that far,' Sky thought to himself before getting down to business. "Diaspro, there's something I need to tell you. You remember – "

His words were suddenly cut off by Diaspro's high pitched squeal as Lady tried to jump up on her an lick the princess face like she did with Bloom.

"Ah! Get away from me, you wretched creature!" Diaspro shouted at the dog, which quickly dashed away from the princess and looked uncertainly at her master. "Argh! Who own that miserable mutt?! They deserved to be fined!"

"She's my dog," Sky told the girl a bit more sharply then he expected himself too. He now knew exactly why he had his doubts about marrying Diaspro. She was so frustrating and snobbish.

"We're did you get it? The streets?"

"As a matter of a fact I did."

"Oh Sky, sweetie, if you want a dog we'll get you a proper one from a breeder. One that everyone approves of."

"I don't want one that everyone approves of. I want the one that I like," Sky said somewhat heatedly. Just because everyone consents to it doesn't make it right for him. Red Fountain had not only taught him how to follow orders, but it had also taught him how to think for himself and trust his instincts.

"Sky, you're so silly sometimes," Diaspro giggled before moving to worm her self into his arms. "You know, I'll be leaving soon with your parents, so this in no doubt going to be the last time we spent together until our summer break holiday our families take together. Best not waste it, huh?"

"No!" Sky quickly stopped her, taking hold of both her hands to stop them moving off to any places he didn't want them too. He had never had to deal with something like this with her, and didn't want her trying to distract him since right now he really needed to tell her the truth. "Diaspro, I need to talk to you."

"Okay?" Diaspro agreed uncertainly, but at least she stopped her advances. "What's the matter?"

"Do you remember Bloom? The girl from yesterday?"

"You mean that horrible red head? Of course I do. How could I forget? She called me a witch and destroyed my Crowned Jewels! I can't believe you even know such a miserable person."

"She's nothing like that! She lovely, caring and sweet," Sky instantly defended. "And . . . Disapro, over the last year, I've been kinda seeing her."

The princess golden eyes narrowed dangerously. The absurdity of it all. Why would he want to be with that red hair loser when he had her; Princess Diaspro of the Realm of Quartz? That was just plain insanity. "What?"

"I've been – "

"I heard you the first time!" she snapped heatedly, before trying to bring her temper under control. "Sky, please define; kinda seeing her, for me."

"We started hanging out and I started developing feelings for her and I asked her out on a few, sorta, dates."

Diaspro glared at him, her eyes are hard as the gems of her realm. She then suddenly realized that he still held her hands in his and ripped them free from his touch. "Get your hands off me!"

"Diaspro, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just . . . " Sky tried to explain as Diaspro turned her back on him and walked over to the wall of the battlement, placing her hands flatly on the stones in front of her. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Diaspro assured him, her voice shockingly controlled. "We'll just have to work past this. It's just a crush, right? It'll pass and then we'll be married and – "

"No, Diaspro. We won't._ I_ won't. I'm sorry but I just can't marry you."

"But it's already been arranged," Diaspro reminded him coldly. "Our fathers – "

"I've already spoken to my father about how I feel, and he contacted your father to explain our situation. As of today, we are no longer engaged," Sky explained as delicately as he could. Diaspro jerked her face around, her eyes wide.

"Your father did _what?_" she screeched. It wasn't possible. She had Sky's father wrapped around her little finger. If she had battered her eye lashes at that fat old man a few more time he probably would have named her as his heir over his own son. He couldn't turn on her now.

"Our arranged marriage is called off," Sky repeated firmly. "Now you can go out and find someone you truly – "

"Truly what, Sky? Love? Is that what you feel for that Earth wench? Because if you do I'm here to tell you that you've been blinded by a fantasy. It's impossible for anyone to have a true love other than themselves. This ideal of soul mates is a fiction and as a prince you should know better than indulge in it."

"How can you say that? How – "

"Because I still remember who I am and who my duty is to; my countrymen and the benefit of my realm! As a princess I put what is ultimately better from my people above my own wants! Love! Companionship! Friendship! I put them all second for my kingdom and one day you will too! You're young and stupid at the moment, Sky, and soon you will see that this is the biggest mistake you've ever made!"

"Well I'm willing to live with that," Sky said coldly, his blue eyes blazing. So what if he had a high calling? He wasn't about to living his life following orders and not fighting for what he believed in and for those he cared about. "And I reckon that if I was given another chance, I'd still choose this path."

Diaspro's eyes burned as she literally shook with rage. Furious beyond words, she simply screamed in his face before storming passed him to where the royal cars would transport her and the King and Queen of Eraklyon to the Magix Spaceport.

"Well, I suppose this is farewell until summer break starts," Sky's mother said stiffly to her son when he had arrived to see his parents off. "Hopefully you'll come to your senses by then."

"Goodbye mother," Sky bowed. There was no point arguing with her now.

"Goodbye son," the King said, looking over at his wife as she entered the royal convoy with Diaspro. Neither of them looked back at the prince. "I know I haven't always been there for you, and although I still think Diaspro is a much match than that _Earth _girl, I just want you to know I will support your decision."

"Thank you," Sky bowed again, overlooking the way his father had all but spat out the word Earth. With the exception of that part, that had to be the nicest, most fatherly thing his father had ever said to him. "Good bye father."

"Goodbye son. Until the end of the school year."

Sky remained were he was for sometime after the cars had vanished from sight. Today had been the first time he had ever really stood up to his parents, and in his first act of defiance he had turned his entire future on its head.

And strangely, he didn't care in the slightest.

* * *

_(1) Those lines are very similar to the word Juliet said to her father when he announced her marriage to Paris in Romeo and Juliet. Clearly they're not exactly the same language since it would be rather weird if they two of them suddenly started speaking in thee's and thou's, but they still mean the same thing_

_(2) That connects into season two when Diaspro is accused of being a bad ruler by the Wrong Righters for punishing people for wearing head to toe denim _

_I personally always pictured Sky's mother as being a real bitch which is why I made Sky's dad the good guy in this._

_TBC_


	19. The Army of Decay

**

* * *

**

Sky kept turning his phone over in his hand. He could call her. There was nothing wrong with that. What's the worst she could do? Not answer? It would be fine. All he wanted to do was talk.

"Okay," Sky sighed determinately, scrolling through his phone book until he reached Bloom's number. After a second of hesitation, Sky pushed the call button and raised the phone to his ear where he could hear it ringing. "Come on. Pick up. Pick up. Pick up."

Sky could feel his breath catch as someone answered, but he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when he realized that that person wasn't the girl he was hoping to talk to.

"Bloom's room," Stella greeted pleasantly. "How may I help you?"

"Hey Stella," Sky said cautiously, memories of the last time he had seen her filling his mind. "Is, er, Bloom there?"

"I'm sorry. Bloom's unavailable right now."

Sky silently cursed fate. "Can you give her a message for – "

"Gotta go now Brandon or Prince Sky or whoever you are," Stella cut him off swiftly and before he could get another word in, the scorned Princess of Solaria hung up on him.

"Damn," Sky sighed deeply, looking down had his denied phone. With no chance of getting through to Bloom, Sky quickly headed off to get changed into his uniform like Saladin had ordered the entire school for a reason that Saladin had decided not to share with his students.

Riven had been watching Sky's entire phone call and laughed cruelly at his ex friends situation. "Trouble in loser paradise. Darcy will love this."

Abandoning the task his instructors had given him, Riven headed off towards the school garage. Red Fountain may have been on high alert for some unknown reason, but Riven wasn't going to sit by while the old man chased some shadows. He wanted something from Darcy, and delighting her with news from losers in love was as good as excuse he could get to go see her. Unfortunately, he wasn't certain where she was at that very moment. She wasn't answering her phone and he really wasn't up for a wild goose chase, so Riven decided to get in contact with her in the fastest way possible.

Putting his finger tips to his temples, Riven established himself firmly to the mind link Darcy had set up as the world turned to darkness around him. _"Puppy dog to Stiletto. Come in, Stiletto."_

"_Stiletto here,"_ Darcy almost purred, and Riven could tell she was extremely pleased with something. Although, strangely, he didn't sense the usual eagerness she had taken on recently whenever she heard for him. _"What can I do for you, Puppy Dog?"_

"_I want to see you. Where are you?"_

"_Cloud Tower."_

Riven was a bit surprised to hear that. _"They let you back in?"_

"_Something like that. They're under new management, so you can ride all the way up to the main gates this time if you want to." _

"_Okay? I'll see you soon."_

"_See you soon, Puppy Dog."_

Something seemed off to Riven as he rode up to Cloud Tower, but he simply dismissed it as usual witch meddling and continued on his way. With help from Darcy and a mental projection of where the Trix were, Riven managed to find the three sisters easily. He parked his bike along side an open window and quickly jumped inside.

"You didn't call me back," Riven snarled, taking in his surrounding. The room the witches had taken over seemed to hold a certain level of authority and Riven could almost smell the lingering scent of command. Icy had claimed the seat behind the heavy desk that Stormy was now perched upon. Something kept nagging at him, and then it dawn on him. 'This is Miss Griffin's office.'

"I'm sorry," Darcy apologized in a very patronizing manner. "I've been busy."

"Too busy for me?" Riven asked. There was nothing vain behind that question, just curiosity. Over the last few weeks Darcy had been behaving in a way that could almost be called clingy, and this sudden change in her attitude towards him screamed alarm bells.

"I hope I didn't hurt your little feelings," Darcy pouted, moving past Riven to get behind him. All members of the Trix laughed callously and Riven's instincts went haywire. Growing up on the streets, Riven had developed a keen sense of being able to detect when things were starting to turn sour. Riven suddenly realized he knew what they were doing. He had seen it so many times before. He knew this routine. It was exactly the same as whenever they bullied other students for fun. They had him surrounded and he could feel their claws itching for a fight. "Hey. What's going on here?"

"I was gonna to ask you that, Riv," Darcy continued to torment him while her sisters kept laughing. "You here to take me on another date?"

"Well, I was kinda hoping too, yeah," Riven admitted, his senses going crazy. "But I'm no sure I like what's happening here."

"Oh Riven, you lost little boy," Stormy cooed, getting up and making her way over to him. Tenderly, she reached out to cup his cheek in her hand, running her slender fingers across his skin. Riven almost thought she was coming onto him until her felt her nails cutting through his flesh. Recoiling back in horror, Riven gaped at her and he felt the air shift behind him as Darcy started levitating, her eyes glowing. "Don't you know no one cares what you like?"

Riven's eyes widened as the Trix all started to levitate, their eyes burning as they circled and rotated around him. He had always been on their side whenever they bullied someone, and he never realized how intimidating they could be when they did that.

"You should have stuck to dating pixies!" Icy spat.

"Haven't you heard Riven? Witches make really bad girl friends!" Darcy snarled, her eyes boring into her lover.

"Come on! Stop messing around!" Riven demanded as the door to Miss Griffins office slammed shut. If anything the witches laughed harder. Feeling somewhat vulnerable, Riven reached for his saber. "Alright, this isn't funny."

"You're wrong, Riven. It's absolutely hilarious," Icy laughed as Darcy threw a hex in his direction. Beneath his feet, a dark vortex appeared which Riven was just alert enough to jump clear of. His mind, however, was racing. What the hell happened? One minute Darcy was hanging off him and now she was throwing hex blasts his way? What was with her?

"In case you haven't figured it out, I'm breaking up with you!" Darcy shouted, but Riven couldn't help but think that it was a little forced. And he wasn't going to let her discard him like that. Not after everything he had done in order to be with her. But try as he might, he couldn't seem to blame her for all this. He had seen her at her weakest, and he knew what she really wanted in life. Someone else must have gotten to her.

"This is your fault!" he accused Icy, charging her. The witch easily teleported herself out of harms way and Riven flipped himself to a new position.

"He's not taking this very well," Darcy commented as his saber passed straight through Stormy, but the witch remained unharmed. "Seriously, what did you think was gonna happen? Did you think we were going to have a relationship? Don't make me gag!"

Darcy hurled ball of pure black energy at him and Riven flinched as darkness so cold even he could feel it filled the room. Too shocked to react, Riven could only watch as the Trix swelled into a massive size. They didn't teach you how to deal with something like this in heroics class that was for sure.

"So long, little witch boy," Icy cackled, looking down at the boy she now dwarfed.

"Stop this! Darcy! Can't we just talk about this?" Riven pleaded. If he was going to get through to any of the witches, he knew it would be Darcy.

But she would have nothing of it. "Sorry, no can do."

"Fine, you asked for it!" Riven growled, pulling out his throwing stars. The Trix had told him once that the best way to kill a snake it to cut off its head, and theirs was Icy. His mortal weapons, however, were no match to her power, and the discs went straight though her confirming to Riven that there was no way out of this for him. He was completely at their mercy and he knew that he had walked blindly into their clutches.

"Breaking up is so much fun," Darcy grinned as she and her sisters initiated their final attack on him. In a wave of white light, Riven had his eye sight ripped from him as he was engulfed in a deluge of such powerful raw magic that he felt his skin sizzle as it passed over him. His heart pounded in his ears and he felt as though his brain was on fire. The ground beneath his feet seemed to turn to liquid and he quickly fell below its surface.

And then finally, with a painful crashed, he was dropped onto the hard, stone floor of the Cloud Tower dungeons after passing through the ceiling and lost consciousness.

* * *

Brandon walked aimlessly through the hallways of Red Fountain, his head downcast. At Saladin's command, every student was armed to the teeth with their weapons and equipment awaiting some unknown force that may not even attack them and Brandon was no exception. But the squire couldn't care less about paranoid headmasters and invisible enemies.

He was still upset over everything that had happened since the Day of the Royals and now he was starting to think it may have been a mistake to push Sky away considering everything. Timmy still wasn't sure if he could forgive them and who know what Riven was thinking recently, but the most painful thing for Brandon was that Stella had point blankly refused for have any form of contact with him. She wasn't answering his calls, his email, his messages and when he had tried to speak to her face to face, the Princess of the Sun and the Moon quickly teleported herself away from him. He had even sent Lex with a letter to her since Lex was pretty clueless when it came to sensing danger. The poor sophomore had returned to the squire after being sun blasted and teleported into to Lake Crysalous, making it the second time in as many days that Lex had been relocated by a female into an awkward situation.

And since he was distancing himself from Sky – something he had never done before – Brandon couldn't deny that fact that he was lonely. After realizing that they had been lied to for the last two years, virtually the entire school had alienated the squire and the prince with some students even acting hostile to the boys. Solitude was not something Brandon was very familiar with since ever since he was little he always seemed to have his friends or his little brother around. And although there were a few good people at Red Fountain who didn't care about his change in name like Kane and Dave, Brandon couldn't stop feeling lonesome.

And there were enough people out there who _did_ care about his change in name to make it all the more difficult for him.

"Hey there, Brandon," Justin grinned mockingly as Rowan body slammed the squire into the wall. "Me and my boys were just wondering what we were going to do for fun see as the lacrosse season is over, and we've come up with a new game; Smashin' Squires."

"Why can't you pick a normal hobby like everyone else?" Brandon spat, his face still pressed against the wall. "I have a feeling you'd do pretty well at bird watching, crow face."

"I don't think we're in the position to be dealing out insults," Justin hissed as Rowan shoved Brandon harder against the wall.

"Remember, you're speaking to nobility," Marcus reminded him.

"That's right," Justin sneered. "On your knees, squire."

At Justin's command, Rowan threw Brandon to the floor resulting in the brunette hitting his head painfully on the stone floor. Before the squire could recover, Marcus followed through with a swift kick to the ribs, winding Brandon immediately.

"Come on! Get up, squire!" Justin jeered as the rest of his goons laughed at the breathless Brandon. "You really are the most pathetic thing I've ever seem, Brandon. The only time you're anyone of value is when you're somebody else. Even that moron Stella was smart enough to ditch you as soon as she learnt what you were really worth. What happened? You're dazzling personality wasn't enough to win her over?"

"Just shut up, Justin!" Brandon hissed through clenched teeth as he cradled his tender ribs.

"You're not one to be giving me orders, peasant!" Justin spat. "But now that you've been discarded, I think I might give Stella a call. She's on the rebound, and I've been looking for brainless slut who would hook with anyone to further herself socially to have some fun with. I think she'd go alright in the – "

Whatever Justin had planned to say was suddenly denied as someone roughly grabbed Justin by his cape and slammed him back into the wall. Before any of his goons could react, Justin found himself pinned to the wall with W's phantom claws pointed at his throat. (1)

"Is there a problem here?" Bishop asked casually as his friend continued to threat to slice Justin's throat. Like deer's in headlights, the lacrosse goons remained frozen where they were, too stupid to think of any kind of retaliation or response. "Let him go, W. He's not worth your time."

"Why? I don't think Jacob's ever cooked crow before. Who are we to deny him that challenge?" W asked, shifting his claws slightly so they were straining against Justin's skin. But he could feel his purple haired friend glaring at him. With an undisguised amount of disappointment, W retracted his claws and shoved Justin away from him roughly. "Get out of 'ere or I'll send you back to your daddy piece by piece!"

The lacrosse boys didn't need to be told twice, and they bolted back down the corridor without a backwards glance. Slowly, Brandon got to his feet and breathed as deeply as he could.

"You alright?" Bishop asked.

"I'm fine," Brandon said more sharply then he intended. He knew he shouldn't let Justin's words get to him, but that stuff he said about Stella was just plain low. He could feel W's and Bishop's sympathetic eyes on him and that made him all the more irritated. He didn't want there pity.

"Brandon," Bishop started, but he suddenly stopped when a strange, high pitch wail filled the air followed by a powerful rumble of thunder. Brandon had noticed that the sky was getting darker the last time he was outside, and it appears that that storm had reached Red Fountain sooner than he expected it to. But as another one of those wails filled the air, Brandon couldn't help but get that sinking feeling that something wasn't right.

And then an alarmed shout for outside confirmed it.

"Creatures approaching Red Fountain from sky and land!"

"What?" W growled, and the three boys bolted to get outside as fast as they could as more students shouted out warnings.

"They're at east gate! There are hundreds of them!"

"They at the west gate too! And the south!

"Don't worry! The barricades will keep them out!

"I don't think so! They're coming up through the stones!!"

Brandon slammed to double doors open and bolted out onto the battlements, but when he saw what was awaiting him there, his quick advance came to a swift stop as his mind became absolutely frozen in fear.

The sky above him was filled with flying monsters that looked to him like sting rays, and they were swarming above Red Fountain, wailing horribly. With swift, determined swoops, the flying sting rays rained down on the students either knocking them to the ground or picking them up to drop from a height. One junior landed not far from where Brandon stood, and the squire flinched at the sickening sound of the body hitting stones. The junior didn't get back up.

Extending his double beam saber, Brandon bolted over to the unconscious student and dragged him out of the action as thousands of insects crawled up through the stones. As Brandon left the junior in a safe place, he felt his skin crawl as the insects swarmed together in order to build one, large beast.

"No way," Brandon gasped, his eyes wide as the beast completely constructing itself. It was very big and towered over the squire. The monster had two large pincers on the ends of its arms and from its long mouth flicked a collection of tentacles. With a roar, the monster charged towards Brandon with a slow, heavy gate. Forcing himself to break out of his shock, Brandon raised his double beam saber. "So Saladin's not paranoid. Alright, fine! Bring it!"

* * *

"Impossible," Timmy said in awe as he shot down another stingray. The monster landed on the ground and splattered into thousands of bugs before re-gathering themselves and taking to the skies again. "It's . . . impossible."

The land monsters, both the headless and the tentacle mouthed had penetrated Red Fountain through the stones, and their number and sudden attack where overwhelming the students; through they were trying their hardest to change that. Unfortunately there were still a large number of students that were yet to make it outside and the fact that this unknown magical army was attacking by both land and air was not making it any easier on them.

Timmy watched in horror as some freshmen cut through one of the land monsters with his sword only to be carried off by a one of the flying stingrays. That was tag-team fighting! That wasn't fair!

"Hey! You're asking for it!" Timmy shouted, taking aim and firing at the back of the sting rays neck. He hit his mark, and with a painful wail the stingray dissolved and fell to the ground along with the freshmen. "Alright!"

And he wasn't the only one doing well. Over the roaring of the monsters and the deafening noise of battle, Timmy clearly heard someone shout, "Good one Prince Sky!"

Looking over his shoulder, Timmy saw the blonde prince bolt into the battle. A wave of relief washed over the boy genius because not only did he know that at least one of his friends hadn't been given free flying lessons by the sting rays, but also because Sky hadn't entered the battle alone. The students that had been deep within the school had finally made it to the battle outside, and with them they brought Javelin and the chef Jacob.

With a clean over armed throw, one of Jacob's throwing knives embedded itself into the throat of one of the land monster in a manner that was both fitting and somewhat disturbing for a high school chef (2). Javelin, who had never displayed his fighting skill, shocked all his students with his fluid and graceful skill with a weapon none of the students had ever seen before. It was a type of glove with thin, almost delicate looking laser strings flowed from his finger tips and they were sharp enough to cut straight through the monsters like a hot knife through butter. (3)

But Timmy didn't have time to stand around and admire his teacher skill.

"Come on, you slim!" Timmy shouted, taking aim on one of the land monsters. The beast clearly didn't appreciate the art of name calling and roared back in retaliation, but Timmy wasn't intimidated. "Scream at this!"

The monster quickly fell under Timmy's accurate aim and was reduced back to bugs. Sensing something approaching him from behind, Timmy swung his arm around and fired at a swooping stingray. The flying monster caught the blast squared in the mouth and its head exploded under the force. Timmy couldn't suppress a grin, but that smile faded when he turned back around to discover that the land monster he had just shot down was quickly reforming itself.

"Oh come on!" Timmy protested loudly. "You've got to be kidding me! That's got to be some form of cheating!"

The monster reached completion, roaring loudly as Timmy shot it for a second time. Red Fountain may be the finest school for teaching swordsmanship and battle skills, but there was only so much some one could do against a force that didn't die.

"Here I come, boys!" Codatorta roared, leaping off one of the battlements into the thick of the fight. But even the combat master and his impressive skills with his whip couldn't keep the monsters down. The whole situation seemed hopeless.

"They're battering the south gate!" one of the students shouted and Timmy felt his stomach sink. If they lost the south gate, the army could over run the school.

"Oh no! Only the freshmen are there!" another student cried out.

"There are too many of them! We can't keep this up!" a third added, speaking what everyone was thinking. The south gate fell and a new wave of monsters stormed the school.

"Can this get any worse?" Timmy groaned, shooting down another stingray. That's when the rain started to fall.

* * *

Prince Sky flinched as a bolt lightning lit up the darkening sky and a deafening crash of thunder instantly followed. The rain continued to collapse down around him, chilling him to the bone. The combination of the cold and the fatigue of the endless fighting resulted in Sky's body starting the cramp up but he knew he couldn't stop. The army of monsters hadn't weakened. Instead it seemed to do the opposite as wave after wave of them penetrated the centuries old fortress.

Crying out exhaustion, Sky sliced his blade through one of the massive arms of the headless monsters, but the beast wasn't fazed and continued attacking with his other arm. Leaping backwards, Sky quickly pulled out his boomerang and threw it at the monsters ankles. The weapon sliced through its legs easily, sending the monster toppling to the ground where it spewed apart like some kind of liquid before starting to re-gather itself.

"These things just don't let up," Sky panted, taking the slight break in battle to try and catch his breath. He had no idea how long he had been at this but it felt to him like days, though it was probably just a few hours. And despite how fit he was, Sky knew he could go on much longer before he was completely drained of energy. His enemy was too strong and too large in number for them to keep fighting like this, and the fact that they kept regenerating themselves definitely wasn't helping.

All technique had gone out of his fighting as a result of several factors – fatigue being a key one – but the most painful one to Sky was the fact that although he was competent with one on one battles, he knew he worked better in a team. He had managed to catch glimpses of Timmy and Brandon every now and then, but they were busy taking on the monsters on their own. And although he knew that fighting giant monsters composed of thousands of insects wasn't the most normal thing one could spend their time doing for an evening, but it just felt wrong not to be fighting alongside his friends.

"What is it?" one of the students fighting not far from where the prince stood. Sky eyes, while had become accustom to the gloom that seemed to hang over the Realm of Magix, burned painful as a pair of search lights from a ship flooded over the battlement. "Reinforcement?"

"Fire!" a shockingly familiar voice ordered and the next thing Sky knew, energy blasts rained down from the ship. Another monster attack was enough, however, to deny Sky the change to see if it was who he thought it was. "There he is!"

_Thud!_

Looking over his shoulder, Sky was a bit shocked and confused to see a rope dangling from the ship virtually right next to him. But was even more shocking was what he heard next.

"Prince Sky!"

'Diaspro?' Sky gasped within his own mind, but he had enough common sense and training for him not to lower his sword and shield. He was a student of Red Fountain school of Heroics and Bravery after all. They taught you how to deal with the unknown; monsters, evil forces and the like. If only they had a section on dealing with ex fiancées.

"Grab the rope, my prince!" Diaspro cried, her pale blonde locks caught high in the wind given off by the storm and the engines of the ship she was in. "We're getting you out of here!"

Sky instantly felt ashamed that they would even think he'd be coward enough to even consider abandoning a fight like that. "What?!"

"We're here to rescue you! You can't see it but this army is endless! Red Fountain will fall!" Diaspro warned, but Sky would hear nothing of it. He didn't need rescuing.

"Then I will fall with it! My place is here!"

"Don't be absurd! You're a prince! You have a higher calling! You're kingdom needs you!" Diaspro reminded him sharply, making Sky's skin shiver, but for the first time all evening it had nothing to do with the temperature or his fading strength.

He didn't need Diaspro to remind him that, as first in line to the Royal throne of Eraklyon, his duty was to ensure his own survival for the sake of his kingdom, but at the same time he could stand the thought of abandoning Red Fountain and her students. Red Fountain had stood for over three hundred years and Sky was not going to let her fall without a fight. Within those walls, Sky had learnt more in the space of two years than his entire life within the halls of the palace of Eraklyon.

Red Fountain had taught him true honor and valor was not necessarily obtain by following protocol and what tradition has stated is your duty. At times, the best course of action may be to go against protocol and tradition and follow you instincts and your own moral path based on the experiences life had dealt you. Your life's path isn't decided by what family you were born into, but by the decisions you make, and it was clear to Sky what path he had to choose.

"What are you waiting for?!" Diaspro shouted. "Grab the rope!"

In one swift movement, Sky's pale blue phantom blade cut through the rope and sealing his fate, for better or worse. "My friends need me more!"

Sky knew there was a possibility that he had just thrown away his only chance at survival, but he didn't care. In his mind, his place was here with the people he cared about, not some title back home. He'd rather face his fate here along side his friends that spend decades ruling Eraklyon with the guilt of his cowardice gnawing at him. He wanted to fight alongside his friends whither they were talking to him or not. Brandon, Timmy, the Winx Club, even Riven wherever he had gotten too, and especially Bloom.

His feeling for that Earth girl he had helped rescue from that troll all those months ago had given him the strength and desire to govern his own life and not just follow a path that his parents and their advisers had beaten out for him. His parents weren't unkind, but they did love to have every aspect of their lives planned and organized and their son was no exception to them. Sky had a slight suspicion that somewhere in one of the towers of the Place of Eraklyon was schedule and date for the prince's death, down to the second.

But Bloom and his friends had opened him up to a world where spontaneity wasn't discouraged, and where rules could not only be bent, but shattered beyond belief. Sky envied Bloom for her freedom and he had used that as inspiration to obtain it for himself. Diaspro would never understand, he could see it in her face. With the indifferent aloofness all royalty had been trained to master, the Princess of Quartz turned her back on him and ordered the pilot of the ship to leave.

Sky felt no regrets as he watched his rescuers depart the battlefield and left the students to their fate. Instead, he simply turned his back to them and leapt to the aid of a student that was quickly being overpowered by two massive land monsters.

"Hey! Back off, bug breath!" Sky shouted, slashing at the head of one of the monsters, but shockingly, they did as he said. Suddenly, all the monsters seemed to freeze, as if listening to something the Red Fountain students couldn't hear. And then, at the command of their mistresses, the army dissolved back down into rot form and withdrew from the school for heroics and bravery.

"Did we win?" Sky heard Brandon ask as the others looked around them in pure bewilderment. What the hell had just happened?

"I'm afraid not," a calm voice answered, and Saladin suddenly appeared on the battlements. "They're just toying with us. The Army of Decay will return and try to overrun Red Fountain in the same way they have to Cloud Tower."

"Cloud Tower's fallen?" Sky gasped, but it was lost in the murmuring of the other students that broken out. There were several repeats of 'Army of Decay?' and 'They're coming back?' from the students, but Saladin continued to wait patiently until the noise had died down.

"The Trix Sisters of Cloud Tower have managed to obtain a very powerful power from one of the fairies from Alfea and have raised the Army of Decay in order to enslave the universe starting here at Magix," the headmaster explained. "It is our duty as heroes to defend this realm and stop the witches in their quest for complete domination. I request all of you get some rest while you can and we will arrange for around the clock watch duty so we are not taken by surprise. I would like to see all teachers and the student reprehensive council briefly in my office. This is not over yet, gentlemen."

* * *

_(1) Just like Logan did in the first X-Men movie to that guy in the bar who tried to knife him_

_(2) The Jacob I know was in the army when he was living in Italy and he said they taught him how to throw a knife so accurately that he was able to kill his grandmothers' cat while it was climbing up a tree. He loved horrifying me with his stories about all the animals had had killed and/or eaten. He's a pretty wicked man in that sense but by god he can make a warm duck salad to die for. He cooks a mean kangaroo to and I've never tasted better dessert except for this once Jamaican Mud Cake this restaurant has. Oh my god, it is orgasmic _

_(3) I'm not sure what this weapon's called but it pops up in a whole bunch of animes'. The main one I can think of is Hellsing and the butler uses it _

_TBC_


	20. Sparx of Hope

**

* * *

**

Brandon kept his eyes fixed on clock from his place curled up on one of the couches in the sophomore common room. The Army of Decay had withdrawn hours ago, but most students were yet to find any sleep. They had all visited the shower bock to get warm and cleaned up, and were now inside out of the weather waiting until they get reports of a second attack from the witches. Brandon had avoided conversation all night, more content with watching the clock tick over to midnight instead.

The chill from the weather outside still lingered in the bones of all who fought. Brandon had his arms wrapped around him and his feet tucked up underneath himself in an effort to keep his extremities warm. He wasn't alone in the common room, so once he had successfully witnessed the passing of one day to another, Brandon dropped his concentration slightly to listen to what his classmates were saying.

"What do you mean they're made out of rot?" Kane asked, his look perplexed.

"Apparently, there's a certain spell that summons every little piece of rot and decay, so like leave and decomposed carcasses and so on, from the last hundred years and they form these monsters," Jared explained.

"Carcasses?" Sally repeated. "That's feral."

"So that kinda explains why we can't kill them. They're technically already dead," Bishop noted.

"How come we've never heard of something like this?" Bourne asked. "I mean we covered magical forces last year and I can't remember undying cockroaches as one of them."

"It's not a common spell," Bishop answered calmly. "It hasn't been used in over two centuries."

"And a bunch of high school girls managed to summon it?" W questioned gruffly.

"They're more than just high school girls," Jared corrected. "There's speculation that they may be descendants of the dreaded Witches Coven who destroyed Sparx several years ago."

"I thought anyone connected to that Coven was banned from any of the school in this realm," Bourne said softly, tucking his knees up against his chest and resting his chin on them. "How could they have gotten in?"

"They would have lied through their teeth," Kane answered flatly. "There always something wrong with those girls. You could just feel it. That Icy's insane."

"This whole thing is insane," Lex corrected, walking into the common room and moving straight over to one of the heaters. "That was the most painful watch duty ever. It's freezing outside. And it's summer! What is with that?"

"This cold has to have something to do with the witches and the Army of Decay," Dave concluded, wrapping his arms about him in an effort to ward off the chill that lingered in the air.

"It's crazy cold," Lex told them, blowing into his hands in order to warm them. "Anyone seen Riven? I don't want to go out for a smoke on my own."

"I haven't seen him all night," Bourne confessed.

"Maybe he got eaten by the rot monsters," Kane suggested a little too hopefully.

"Kane!"

"What?"

"You shouldn't say that."

"Why not? He's a pain."

"Whatever, I'm going to try and get some sleep," Jared yawn, getting to his feet. "You guys should too. We had a big day today, and I've got a feeling tomorrow's not going to be any better."

* * *

Riven sat on the stone floor of his cell, the darkness wrapped tightly around him. He figured it was closing in on twenty-four hours since Darcy and her sisters had put him down here and in that time none of them had bothered to come down and see him. He wasn't really expecting visitors, but he would have thought they would have wanted to continue tormenting him and fact that they didn't bothered Riven greatly. That only meant that they had another form of entertainment and it must have been pretty horrible if it was enough to distract the Trix from him and the other witches he knew were being held captive in the cell across the hall. The Trix had Miss Griffin completely at their mercy and that yet for some reason that didn't interest them.

Sighing deeply, Riven rubbed his hands over his arms as if he was trying to keep himself warm though in actual fact he felt no cold. He knew he should be hungry by now, but he didn't feel any of those hunger pains he knew so well after the years on the streets. The only thing he was really concerned with in regards to himself was that limited water supply the cell was stocked with. But other than that, all Riven thoughts were directed outside the walls of his cell.

He knew the Trix well enough to know that their dreams for total domination was not some idle fantasy, so they were not going to stop just because they had successfully captured Cloud Tower. Red Fountain had been on high alert when Riven had left, and he had concluded several hours ago that it must have been because Saladin knew that they had imprisoned the witches and the teachers.

The Trix must have gotten their hands on some serious new level of power in order to do that. Their normal dark power couldn't have been enough to defeat Griffin even if they did all gang up on her at once. Riven tried to go back through his memory to see if he could recall them ever mentioning such a source of energy like what they must have need to obtain to cage their former teachers, but whenever he was with them they only seemed interested in playing hoaxes on Bloom and the rest of the Winx Club, and there was no way one of those pixies could have that type power. They were just freshmen's. The only one who might have something of value was probably Stella with her Ring of Solaria, but he had thought they had already stolen that and found it useless. It just didn't make any sense to him and his hallucinations were helping. He hadn't seen anything he knew wasn't really there, but he kept hearing that high pitched wailing in his ears which wasn't helping him concentrate.

Rubbing his forehead, Riven tried to clear his mind and bowed his head in order to try and work out what he was going to do now that he was in this position, unaware that a pair of golden eyes was watching him from the shadows.

"What's the matter, Puppy Dog?" Darcy asked him, stepping out of the shadows. Riven's head jerk up at her voice and he quickly took in her body language. She didn't make any more effort to approach him, but rather just stood there with her arms folded across her chest. There was absolutely nothing menacing about her stance, just coldness and indifference. Her voice too lack any malice and was very controlled and even, something Riven had come to know she'd do whenever she was covering up some unwanted emotion. "Did you miss me?"

"Darcy," Riven practically whispered, scrambling to his feet. Darcy made no move to attack him, but he still approached her with extreme caution. "Babe, what's going on? What are you doing?"

"I came down to inform you that my sisters and I have managed to summon the dreaded Army of Decay and in a matter of hours we are going to make them march to Red Fountain so they can destroy it," Darcy told him flatly.

"What?" Riven gasped. Red Fountain was his home. She just couldn't destroy it so casually like that. There wasn't another place in the universe that Riven felt the way he felt for Red Fountain. Ignoring whatever danger he was placing himself in, Riven gently took hold of her upper arms to beg her to reconsider. "Darcy, please. Don't do this. Leave Red Fountain alone. It's – "

Riven words were cut of by Darcy suddenly stretching her face up to his and kissing him. It wasn't brutal like her kisses normally were. Instead Riven could almost call it tender though there seemed to be a certain kind of desperation behind it. He felt her arms snake around his waist and Darcy pressed her body almost delicately against his. But as sweet as the moment may have been, Riven only had one thing on his mind.

"Darcy please, you – " Riven said as soon as he managed to get her mouth off his, but she quickly silence him again. One of her hands slid up his back to find its way into his hair, holding his head in order for him not to pull away from her again. Left with no other choice, Riven gave into his cravings and kissed her back but his mind didn't stop churning.

Riven was the first to admit that he may not be the most informed about how relationships and the female mind was supposed to work, but he was fairly certain that Darcy had dumped him a few hours ago, and that ex-girlfriends weren't supposed to kiss you tenderly the very next time they saw you. They also weren't supposed to raise an army to destroy the only place you call home and enslave the universe – not even in the most extreme cases of evil, psychopathic ex-girlfriends – but Riven could only deal with one thing at a time.

Pulling back, Riven stared breathlessly at the witch within his embrace, but she refused to raise her golden eyes to meet his violet ones. She almost looked uncertain and slightly overwhelmed in his arms, and Riven suddenly realized that if he was going to get through to any of the Trix to stop this madness, it would be Darcy. He had to try and talk some sense into her.

"Darcy – "

"What are you doing to me?" Darcy cut him off softly, and Riven didn't know what shocked him more; her words or her tone. There was something incredibly meek about her voice, and when added with the way she refused to raise her face, it made her appear like a lost little child.

"What?" Riven gaped at her. He had only even seen her with her defenses lower once, and then he at least had some idea where that 'weak moment' came from. He was completely lost with this one, and he didn't understand why she thought he was responsible for this timid uncertainty.

"For years I've always known what I've wanted. I wanted total domination," Darcy told him, her face still lowered. She had found her self in a very foreign situation for her; she was torn between the dream her and her family had been wishing for countless years, and what her heart desired now. She point blankly refused to even consider that her feeling for this cold outside had deepen into any cliché, but she knew she was draw to him by some strong and unknown force. There was no way she could explain it, but she felt more complete whenever she was around him, and she liked it. She couldn't understand where this feeling was coming from, but she knew she didn't want it to stop. Unfortunately, her sisters weren't giving her an option on this one. They were taking over the universe, and they weren't going to trust her with that kind of power if she was hooked on some boy.

"If you carry on like this the only thing you'll dominate over is a pile of rubble," Riven pointed out, trying to get her to see reason. Icy would be far too difficult to convince to call off her attack, and Riven knew he would probably have more success talking to a dysfunctional and unpredictable toaster than with Stormy. But Darcy . . . There might be a chance there.

"I don't know what I'm doing," Darcy confessed, her voice so soft Riven could barely hear it. Slightly alarmed, Riven quickly cooled what little emotions he had and tenderly cupped Darcy's cheek and lifted her flawless face to look at his. Her golden eyes didn't smolder the way they normally did. Instead they seemed confused and on the verge of tears.

"Hey," Riven cooed, planting a kiss on her forehead. "Hey. Babe. It's alright. We'll find a way to work this all out. I don't know how but . . . We'll work it out. I promise."

"We can't work it out," Darcy said, her eyes swimming.

"Sure we can, babe. We can do it together," Riven assured her, kissing her hair gently. He had to get through to her. She was the only vulnerable one out of the Trix, and although Riven knew it was low to play on her desire for attention and affection like this, but there was too much at stake not too. "We'll sort this mess out."

"No!" Darcy cried, jerking her face away from his hands. She glared at him, but whither it was because she was angry or upset Riven wasn't sure. "We . . . Us . . . It can't happen."

"Babe, it can. We – "

"It can't because I won't let it," Darcy told him firmly, her eyes almost spilling over. But she collected herself in order to get out what she needed to say. "We needed a spy within Red Fountain so I recruited you in the only way I know how. You were my puppet, Riven, and now I have no use for you."

"Darcy," Riven started, but he really didn't know what he was going to say past that.

"I told you this was a business partnership in order to further one another professionally and help to satisfy their needs," Darcy reminded him. "And right now I don't need you distracting me just when I'm about to get the fame and recognition that _I_ have always deserved. This is the end of the line for us, puppy dog. I may one day find some use for you, but right now; I've got a realm to destroy."

"Darcy, please," Riven begged as she tried to walk away from him. Grabbing her wrists firmly, Riven pulled her back to him and kissed her hard on the mouth. He put as much passion as he could manage into that kiss to try and cloud her mind and change her judgment on him. But the witch was too set in her mind, and broke free from his lips.

"Goodbye, Riven."

Riven made no effort to try and stop her, and when the door to his cell closed with a loud bang, Riven knew that he had failed in that meeting. Darcy managed to keep her emotions schooled enough to make it away from Riven's cell door and down the corridor. She refused to break down within earshot of her ex and the witches they had imprisoned across the hall, but as soon as she had turned a few corners, she collapsed to her knees and burst into deep, tearing tears.

She knew she wanted to have complete domination over the universe. That had been her desire ever since she was a little girl. Her entire family history was based around that dream, and now that she was so close she could almost feel it she suddenly didn't want it anymore. Darcy knew what she really wanted, but she wasn't going to be allowed to have that. Her family would never let her give up everything they had struggled so hard to obtain for something like that. It just wasn't allowed. Carefully, Darcy delved through her mind and disconnected her psyche from his; canceling the spell and the hold she had put over him all those months ago.

Back in his cell, Riven suddenly felt an insane pressure on his mind that was so powerful, it literally floored him. Every muscle in his body went tense and it felt as if his blood had been transformed to painful fire. His heart felt like a fist was clenching it and his brain reel as if it was in a vice. Riven clutched his head between his hands, writhing in pain on the stone floor of his cell, and then like glass put under too much pressure, his mind shattered making him physically flinch and his body reel. And then, like dam bursting, the emotions that had been missing over the last few months came crashing down upon him with all the force of a tidal wave.

His right leg ached in the cold from the wound he had suffered to it months ago and had never really felt. The shame over everything he had said and done since the Day of the Rose. His horror at the way he had tormented and ridiculed so many other students with the Trix. And the way he had betrayed his friends like that . . . the guilt was unbearable. His ruthlessness had disgrace Red Fountain, nearly turned Sky into dragon meat, reduced a dragon to insanity and had almost annihilated Bloom and her friends more times than Riven could count. And then there was the way he had treated Musa . . .

"Oh gods," Riven managed to choke out, his entire body trembling in horror and disgust. He could faintly hear someone calling out to him – no doubt one of the witches in the cell across the hall – but he was too deep in self loathing and shock to respond or even clearly hear what they were saying. Instead, he just rolled over onto his side and was violently ill.

* * *

"Company! Attention!" Codatorta bellowed and the students of Red Fountain smartly moved as one to his command. Timmy could help but feel that all this was somewhat unnecessary. The whole realm was going to hell and his teachers still thought it was important to still go though all these parade procedures? But then again, when it doubt stick to what you know.

"Company, at ease," Saladin commanded as he took over the parade. The headmaster looked tried, a clear indication that much like his students he had gotten very little sleep the night before. But there was another type of weariness that didn't seem to do with lack of sleep. Something in his face read of defeat, like he was forced to do something he'd rather not do. "Gentlemen, our scouts report that the second invasion of witches is on its way. You fought well yesterday, but today its time to put everything you've learnt in your classes to the test. We may be out numbered, but that does not mean we're out manned!"

"For honour," Cordatorta barked, but it lacked the strength the combat instructor normally possessed, as if he too knew something the students didn't know.

Despite the fact that virtually all the students knew their professors weren't telling them everything, the Heroes of Red Fountain punched their right fist into the air and finished as one, "And the glory of Red Fountain!"

"That felt cool," Timmy couldn't help but state as he lowered his fist. Normally Red Fountain was divided into grades and social groups and the constant rivaling resulted in students turning on one anther. But today, for the first that Timmy could remember, Red Fountain was completely unified against a common enemy and that made them feel somewhat invincible.

However, as powerful bolts lightning ripped through the sky and the clouds started to darken, Timmy felt his confidence start to waver slightly, and he knew he wasn't alone. They all knew the only reason they had survived the night was because the Army of Decay had retreated in order to toy with them, and the feeling of waiting at those witches mercy was not a pleasant one. Timmy couldn't stop a wave of both hatred and fear swell inside of him as the black clouds above him altered themselves so that they gave the illusion of Stormy's face looking down at them.

"Oh look at all the little boys in uniform," the illusion laughed callously so it sent chills down the spins of the students below her. "How pathetic!"

That's when the rain started.

And then, like out of a nightmare, the Army of Decay swelled up out of the darkness and began their attack of the school for heroics and bravery. Like the day before, the flying stingrays swooped in on the students first; either snatching them off the ground to take them back with them into the sky or ripping across flesh with the bards on the end of their tails. Doc had already informed the students that, although painful, the bards weren't poisons but that did little to lessen the stinging pain the students that were hit felt throbbing from their wounds.

Behind the stingrays came the land monsters. After spending the night evaluating their enemies, everyone at Red Fountain had agreed that there were vast differences between the forms of monsters. The headless type were without a doubt the most powerful and strongest of the monsters with their giant arms, but they were incredibly stupid and slow to react if a change in direction was needed, making them somewhat like tanks in that sense; powerful and strong, but not the most agile of enemies. The tentacle mouth rot monsters, however, lacked the brute strength of the headless kind, but they were much smarter and could quickly head off any strategic move their adversary might try on them making them all the more dangerous. Their pincers were sharp and surprisingly quick given their size, and their mouths were distractingly gross.

But the one thing that remained constant between the monsters was that no matter how many times you hit them, they'd just dissolve back down into rot form and re-collected themselves. The rot bugs were by far the grossest of all the monsters simply because they were everywhere. They crept up through the stones and covered the ground like carpet constantly wiggling underfoot. Students who lost their footing could be quickly swarmed upon by the bugs and often couldn't find a way to break free from horde of insects. But no matter how gross or dangerous their enemy might be, the students of Red Fountain were not going to just give up and let them overrun their school.

"Freshmen and sophomores! Fall back! Juniors! Seniors! Hold steady!" Codatorta ordered. "Wait for my command and remember the formations we learnt in advanced tactics!"

"Alright, this is it," Timmy said to himself through clenched teeth, his gun raised and ready to take out any of those rot monsters that might make a sudden advance on the line of Red Fountain boys.

"Steady! Steady!" Codatorta barked as the land monsters reared up to their full height, ready to attack. "This is it boys!"

"Waiting for your command sir," one of the seniors informed the combat instructor.

"Home room A, circle round! Home room B and C, push 'em back to the gates!"

At Codatorta command, the seniors charged forwards to meet the rot monsters head on. Not slowing their pace, they clashed with the monsters at a dead run, and managed to slice through the ankles of the headless monsters that formed the front rank. The smarter tentacle mouthed monsters, however, dissolved on the spot and traveled through the stones in order to get behind Red Fountain's front ranks. But the sophomores and freshmen's were there, waiting for them.

Bishop cut through one of the freshly formed monsters with his two hooked knives, and the monster quickly fell to pieces.

"Nice move there Bishop!" Brandon congratulated. "Now watch this one; my packin' over hand slam bash!"

In one clean movement, Brandon's broadsword slashed through one the monsters, reducing back into its rot form. The annoying thing was that Brandon knew that in a matter of minutes that monster would have re-formed itself and he'd have to cut it back down again.

"Not bad," Bishop grinned, dropping concentration for a second. That break in focus was enough for a stingray to come swooping down and slashing him across the left shoulder with its barb. The purple hair student instantly dropped one of his knives and clutched his injured should, hissing painfully. The cut wasn't deep, but it felt like he had just had a white hot rod shoved into his shoulder and the burning was enough to being tears of pain to his eyes.

Noticing the boys injury, one of the tentacle mouth monsters moves in, but Brandon was there to block its attack until Bishop managed to break through the initial shock and pain of his wound.

"Guys! Stay focused!" Brandon warned as he cut the monster to ribbons. With his left arm useless but not willing to abandon the fight, Bishop discarded his knives and pulled out his buster rifle, purposely shooting down the stingray that hit him first before moving on to others. "And don't just attack! Wait till they're vulnerable! W! To your right!"

"Call me old fashion, but I like the traditional written tests to this for our final exams," Toby panted, swinging his spear around and skewering one of the monsters right in the tentacled mouth. Brandon couldn't help but agree and he gritted his teeth as he sliced through another rot monster, trying to shake of the feeling of déjà vu. It seemed like every time he took down one of these monsters, he'd turn around a second later to find it standing there again, usually with a friend or two. It was getting ridiculous. How were they expected to win this battle if they couldn't keep their enemies down? Regenerating your army in a war must be against the rules somewhere. This just wasn't fair. If the finest school for heroics and bravery was being overrun, what chance was there for the rest of the universe?

Sensing something approaching him from behind, Brandon turned and cut through another rot monster, unaware that the monster he had just cut down prior to that was re-gathering itself. Directly in front of him, Brandon saw the newest recruit to the Red Fountain resistance, Knut, absolutely slam one of the rot monsters to pieces. Brandon couldn't help but remember that it was almost a year ago that he and his friends were battling the ogre on Earth, ad now they were allies. It's a funny old world, now isn't it?

"Nice one Knut!" Brandon congratulated.

"Thanks," Knut grinned somewhat grotesquely, but it quickly faded. "Behind you Sky! I mean Brandon. Behind you Brandon!"

Turning swiftly, Brandon managed to get one glance at the rot monster he had just cut down before it reached out one clawed hand out and took firm hold of his neck. With absolutely no effort, the rot monster lifted the squire off the ground and cut off his oxygen supply. Brandon tried to pry the pinchers loose with his fingers, but there was no breaking that death grip. The hero could see his vision rapidly deteriorating and he felt his consciousness slipping.

And then, on the edge of his awareness, he heard, "I'm coming!"

Suddenly, it felt like a train plowed into the monster. Brandon could feel the shock waves go through the monster from Knuts hit, but it did the trick. The rot monster instantly released its grip on Brandon's throat and the squire dropped to the ground coughing. With no effort at all, the ogre picked up the monster and threw it at other land monster, successfully taking out two birds with one stone. Maybe having an ogre around wasn't such a bad idea, even if they did smell.

"Nice throw big guy," Brandon gasped. "Keep it up."

Knut smiled at the squire with his off coloured fangs and bolted into a group of rot monsters and spending them flying like bowling pins. Brandon couldn't help but laugh as one of the headless monsters trashed helplessly on the ground like a turtle on its back, before realizing it could dissolve its way out of its predicament. Glancing around, Brandon suddenly noted that Timmy was fighting not far from him. It was the first time he had seen any of his friends this whole fight, and he felt a wave of relief wash over him at knowing that at least one of his friends were okay.

"You okay, Timmy?" Brandon asked uncertainly as he ducked out of the way of a swooping stingray.

"Still alive," Timmy answered simply, shooting down the stingray that had just dive bombed Brandon. Although Brandon knew this really wasn't the time or the place, he knew he would feel a lot better if all his friends were talking to one another. It really was rather ridiculous when one stopped to think about it but Brandon didn't have time to do that. The entire school was suddenly filled with a white light that had a strange purplish cast to it, followed by bolts of energy that zapped every rot monster within the white haze.

"It seems to be working!" Brandon cheer as the monsters reeled and dissolved under the attack that had come from the headmaster. Who knew that fragile looking old man had it in him?

"They're staying down! Yahoo!" Lex was quick to celebrate, punching his short staff into the air and hopping from one foot to the other in something somewhere between a jig and an impression of how one might act if they're shoes suddenly caught on fire.

"No they're not!" Pete, a freshmen gasped as the monsters started to reform themselves. This just wasn't fair. There was no way they could stop an army that couldn't die, and with the Trix driving this unstoppable force, everything was starting to look pretty bleak for the prestigious school for Heroics and Bravery. The grey clouds above the school twisted until they resembled Icy's wicked face leering down on the heroes, laughing cruelly. From her mouth shot a bolt of lightning that connected with the school, making the ground beneath Brandon and Timmy's feet shutter as Icy's voice filled that air.

"_Dragons of ice and fire, I'm your master now! Break your shackles and descend upon my enemies! Destroy them!"_

"That doesn't sound good," Brandon groaned as he heard ferocious roars coming from the stables. Dragons were bad enough on their own, and the very thought of them being under Icy's command made Brandon shutter.

"Do you smell smoke?" Timmy asked, but any chance for an answer was cut off as several dragons took to the skies, screaming terribly.

"Up there!" someone shouted, not that there was any need for it. It was kind of hard to miss a herd of flying lizards hurling fire balls down at everyone. "The dragons are loose!"

"Monty?" Toby gasped, watching his fat little welsh dragon land heavily on the ground not far from him. "Monty! Buddy! It's me!"

The old dragon who had shown no form of aggression over the two years it had been at Red Fountain growled dangerously, and then turned as swept several students including Toby off their feet with his tail before moving off to try and bring down the battlements. The fact that the witches could turn such a passive a dragon as Monty into a raged beast was a clear testament to the power the Trix had somehow obtained. Oddly, the insane dragon Rouge did not join in with the attack. Instead, she perched herself on one of the abandoned battlements, roaring mournfully.

"They've been spelled! Be careful!" Codatorta warned as the heard took to the skies and swooped in with the flying stingrays. "Ah! They're going to attack!"

"Sir, the stables are on fire!" one of the stable hands informed. He and the other stable hands had suffered greatly from their efforts to try and restraint the dragons, and all of them were sporting either broken bones, burns or deep cuts somewhere on their body's. "The whole school will burn!"

"Not on my watch," Saladin assured him, extinguishing the fire with his magic, but no sooner had he prevented that disaster did another one appear, this time in the real life forms of the three Trix Sisters in the flesh.

"What's the matter boys? A couple of girls to much for you?" Darcy cackled wickedly as her and her sisters levitated over the battle field, drinking in the fruits of their labor. This was everything the Trix had been hoping for and more.

"And now, Great Dragon of Frost, go! Spread your icy wings and fly!" Icy commanded and from her hands came a massive, long dragon made purely of ice, but it moved as is it was alive. The ice dragon moved in and wrapped itself around the upper stories of the school, freezing it. The heroes on the lower levels of the battlements looked up in horror as the peak of the ice mountain broke off and slide to the ground. The impact the giant block of ice had with the stone battlements below was staggering, and was enough to knock several students off their feet. The shattered ice covered the ground and sparkled like diamonds, making every step treacherous.

"Ah!" Codatorta gasped, suddenly realizing the utter hopelessness of the situation, and he quickly moved to counter in the only way possible. "We have no choice! We must retreat! Everyone to the evacuation ships! Now!"

"What?" Brandon panted. They couldn't just let the witches have Red Fountain. Not just like that. This school had stood for over three centuries and he for one was not going to just abandon it. "No."

"Brandon!" Timmy shouted, grabbing the squires wrist and dragging him off in the direction of the ship hanger. "Come on! We've got to go!"

"No! We can't!" Brandon protested, digging his heels in, but the shatter ice that blanket the battlements meant he kept sliding as Timmy kept advancing. "We can't just let them win like this! We have to fight! We have to stay!"

"You stay, you die!" Timmy pointed out bluntly, dragging his friend along. The squire took one last look at the ruined battlements, the insane dragons, the army of rot monster with unlimited regeneration ability and the newly installed ice mountain on the top of the school when he reluctantly followed his friends advice.

* * *

"All students to the evacuation ships. This is not a drill. This is not a drill," the voice over the loud speaker informed the students as they made their way to the ship hanger as fast as possible without panicking. The inside halls of Red Fountain was bitterly cold thanks to the glacier Icy had provide them and the boys could see their breaths before them in small clouds of steam. And the voice on the loud speaker kept repeating the same thing over and over again. "All students to the evacuation ships. This is not a drill. This is not a drill."

The large double doors that lead into the hanger and their evacuation ships loom just before Prince Sky at the end of the hallway. He was just meters away from his escape with the rest of the students of Red Fountain when he suddenly remember something that stopped him dead in his tracks. "Oh no. Lady."

Turning, Sky bolted back the way he had just come. He had no idea where that dog had gotten to, but he was not going to leave without her. Red Fountain was going to fall, he knew that, and he knew there was no way he could stop that, but he was going to be damned if he was going to leave Lady to those rot monster, the dragons and those cursed witches. He just couldn't leave her to that fate.

"Sky!" a voice shouted, and the prince looked over his shoulder to see Brandon stop his advance to the hanger. A second later, Timmy ran into the squire from behind, but Brandon didn't seem fazed. "What are you doing? We've got to go!"

"Not without Lady!" Sky shouted back. He knew it was foolish to be risking his life for an animal, but Lady had been the only one throughout this whole year who hadn't picked sides during their mini world war. Hell, she still liked Riven immediately after the Day of the Rose, and they couldn't just ignore that kind of loyalty. And Timmy and Brandon seemed to agree with Sky's thinking without hesitation.

"Right," Brandon nodded. "Where is she?"

"Last time I saw her she was in our dorm," Timmy said.

"Let's go!" Sky ordered, taking off again at a dead run. The trio reached their room in record time and burst through the door into an empty room. "Lady! Lady! Where are you girl?"

"Maybe she made a run for it when the battle started," Brandon suggested, starting to panic slightly. The ice on the levels above him was creaking and groaning horribly, and the insane cries of the dragons and the blood curdling wails from the Army of Decay was not helping. And it might just be his anxiety, but that mechanical, indifferent was starting to sound rather pressing.

"All students to the evacuation ships. This is not a drill. This is not a drill."

"Wait! Did you hear that?" Timmy asked.

"Did you mean that repartition of 'This is not a drill. This is not a drill'?"

"No! That!" Timmy stressed and the room fell silent. Well, as silent as a room could go when hell was going on just outside. And then, faintly, the boys heard the sound of whimpering.

"Lady?" Sky almost pleaded, dropping to the floor to look under Brandon's bed and immediately saw a pair of soft brown eyes looking back at him. "Hey girl! Come on! Let's get out of here! Come on."

"Yeah, Lady, time to move," Brandon stressed as a dragon roar loudly and it sounded extremely close. Slowly, the dog edged her way out from under Brandon's bed, bringing with her several empty packets of chips.

"Brandon," Timmy scolded. "Have you ever heard of a trash bin?"

"Priorities, Timmy!" Brandon said sharply, flinching slightly as a loud crack from the ice above them filled the school. "And I'm sorry, but this ice cavern set up Icy gave us has me a little on edge."

"Let's go!" Sky ordered as he tried to stop Lady from jumping up to lick his face. The three heroes bolted back towards the hanger with Lady bounding along beside them happily as if they were have a leisurely run through the park.

"All students to the evacuation ships. This is not a drill. This is not a drill."

"Oh man," Brandon hissed as they bolted through the empty corridors. All the boys knew there was a possibility that they had missed the last ship out of Red Fountain, but there was nothing they could really do except to try to run faster. But their stomachs sank when they burst into and empty hanger. Until . . .

"Guy!" Out of the entire fleet of Red Fountain space ships, one remained, and standing in its hatch waving at them was Lex. Triumphantly, the short sophomore turned to address the senor who was captaining the ship. "See, I told you we weren't all here."

"Whatever, just get in here and let's go," the senior ordered, preparing the ship for take off as Sky, Brandon, Timmy and Lady ran into the ship.

"Thanks man," Sky panted to Lex, amazed that the same boy who thought carpentry was the occupation where people lay carpet (1) could be observant enough to notice that three students out an entire school were missing.

"No worries man. Lex is on the case," Lex grinned. "Hey, when did you get a dog?"

The ship slowly pulled out of the hanger and took to the skies on their retreat to Alfea. Below them, Red Fountain lay in ruins with dragons and rot monsters pulling down the castle that so many had called home over the many years – no centuries – that students were taught the practice of heroics and bravery. Sky pressed his face to the glass of one of the ships windows and watched as they abandoned the only place where he had ever felt like he belonged.

* * *

_(1) The little sister of one of my friends thought that. She's a real smart girl but by god she's a twit_

_TBC_


	21. The Frozen Palace

_Despite the fact that the boys are only show up in the last ten minutes or so in this episode, this turned out to be a massive chapter since there's a lot of things that had to be tied up here. Also I had to make it so that the trip to Sparx was not an easy one so let's just get stuck right into it._

* * *

**Chapter Twenty One – 'The ****Frozen Palace'**

Sky awoke reluctantly the following morning by someone shaking him lightly out of a dreamless sleep. The prince had fallen asleep the second his head had hit the pillow of the cot that had been set up for him and the other heroes by the fairies of Alfea in some cleared out classrooms. Every one of his muscles ached and he felt as though he had gotten no sleep at all. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Sky blinked himself awake to see Pete standing over his bed and that it was still dark outside.

"You're on picket, man," Pete informed the prince who groaned. There was nothing more mind numbing than being on picket duty in the military (1). Hours of sitting in the one place to man a radio while being on the lookout for enemies was not the most enjoyable way to past the time, and even the possibility that there might in fact be actual enemies out there did not overly persuade Sky that he particularly wanted to leave his nice warm cot. Duty, however, won over sloth and the prince reluctantly kicked the blankets off him. One of the pluses of crashing in your clothes meant that you didn't have to get changed in the morning so Sky was at his post in little time at all.

The red suns peered over the far horizon, bloodying the sky. Yawning, Sky wrapped his arms tightly around himself to try and fight off the morning chill. The forest in front of him was dark and gloomy as the rising suns did little to penetrate the thick canopy of the trees. On more than one occasion Sky thought he saw something moving amongst the shadows and made a grab for the radio, only to realize a second later that it was just the trick of the light. But given everything that had happened over the last few days, you couldn't blame him for being a bit on the jumpy side.

The two suns climbed higher into the sky and the hero was just starting to wonder when his shift was going to end so he could go find some breakfast when one of the fairies in Bloom's grade joined him on the wall. Her hair was a tad messy and there were dark circles under her eyes; a clear indication that the students of Alfea were having just as hard a time trying to find sleep as the Red Fountain heroes. But her expression was serious and determined as she looked off in the direction of Cloud Tower.

"Any word?" the fairy asked, and Sky suddenly recalled that her name was Pricilla.

"Nothing yet," Sky informed her emotionlessly. It was the waiting that was the worst part out of all this. The idea that the Trix were just toying with them for a lark was infuriating because they all knew that there was nothing they could about it. At the moment, those witches held all the cards and everyone else was at their mercy. There had been no word of what had happened to Miss Griffin and the rest of the Cloud Tower witches, and neither Saladin nor Faragonda were willing to attempt any kind of attack that may jeopardize the witches lives. The Trix had made their objectives pretty clear, but just how far they were will to go in order to make them happen remained to be seen and no one was willing to push them.

"I hate this," Pricilla admitted, resting her elbows on the wall in front of her and cupping her face in her hands. "I just hate all of it. The waiting. The not knowing. I just hate it."

"If the witches attack, we'll at least have some warning," Sky assured her.

"What about Bloom and the others?"

"What about them?" Sky demanded, suddenly extremely worried. He had been so exhausted and melancholy when he had arrived at Alfea the night before that he hadn't had a chance to go looking for the red haired fairy. He didn't even care if she might not be talking to him; he just wanted to know she was safe.

"Didn't you guys get debriefed on this?" Pricilla asked, and the prince shook his blonde head no. "You know this amazing power the Trix got their hands on that made them this powerful? Yeah, they stole that from Bloom."

"_What?" _

"Apparently, they like followed her to Earth and attacked her family until Bloom was so weak she couldn't defend herself. And furthermore, it's not just any old winx. The power they stole just happens to be the Dragon Fire that was destined to the Royal Family of Sprax."

"But. . . That would mean . . . "

"Yup, Bloom's a princess and the sole surviving member of the Sprax Royal Family after the destruction of their planet over a decade ago."

Sky's mind reeled at this new information. Bloom? A princess? That was just mind blowing! Bloom? His Bloom? The girl they had save from a hunter troll on Earth? Bloom? The girl that had discovered her winx after she join Alfea? Bloom? The girl that didn't even know she possessed magic until about a year ago turned out to be the heir to the throne of the most powerful realm in the known universe? It was just incredible. At the very least it meant that Sky's parents couldn't be disappointed with the fact that their son was dating someone beneath him.

"Where is she now?" Sky managed to pant out. His mind was going haywire, but he knew that he needed to speak with her and try to explain this whole swapping identities issue. But Pricilla's trouble face made him extremely worried.

"That's the thing," she said sadly. "Faragonda sent her and the rest of the Winx Club on a mission to ensure us the only chance we have to defeat the Trix; she sent them to Sparx to find the Dragon Fire."

"_What?!"_

Sparx was a dead planet! What were they thinking sending a bunch of freshmen's to that frozen graveyard on their own? Who knows what was lurking around on that dead planet? It had been over a decade since any civilized individual had step foot on Sprax's soil – er, snow – so there was no telling just how much the once great kingdom had changed. Sky didn't care if Bloom didn't want to ever speak to him again, he couldn't stand the thought of that beautiful red haired freshmen with the most amazing blue eyes he had ever seen being lost forever down some deep, dark ice cavern. What was Faragonda thinking? Sending five high school girls to a place where they don't even send seasoned explorers? And with no back up! That whole mission was ludicrous!

"Hey dude, I'm taking over watch for you," Toby greeted, and Sky didn't hesitate for a second before he bolted off. Except now, breakfast couldn't be further from his thoughts.

He managed to find Faragonda and Saladin talking as they stood on the front steps which looked out towards the direction of Cloud Tower. Both looked exhausted, but Sky had no time for sympathy. The Winx Club – the girls that they had sent to Sparx in the first place – could be freezing to death or being eaten alive by an ice monster that hadn't even been classified yet.

"You sent them to Sparx?" Sky accused with uncharacteristic rudeness. Both headmasters seemed a bit taken back with his discourtesy, but the geriatrics weren't that fragile. They could withstand their fair share of tongue lashings. "You sent five unprotected freshmen's to an unpopulated planet?"

"What?" Brandon, who was sitting near by with a few of the boys in his grade, exclaimed as he quickly climbed to his feet. Timmy, who was also with the group though not necessarily talking with Brandon also got to his feet as both boys had a pretty good idea who those five freshmen's were if they got Sky this worried.

"Please try to understand," Faragonda begged. "As long as the Trix alone have the Dragon Fire we have no chance against them. If Bloom can somehow find a way to reawaken that fire within her we just might be able to stop them. It was a gamble I admit to send them to Sparx at this stage in the battle but we have no other choice. All our hope rest with Bloom and we have to help her find the Dragon Fire again."

"So you sent her to her death?"

"I would never risk the lives of my students like that," Faragonda snapped rather protectively. "But at the same time we cannot just sit here and try to stop the Army of Decay head on like this. Without some kind of strategic attempt to find some advantage, we'll be overrun just like what happened at Red Fountain."

"We could have save Red Fountain if we – "

"Stop being childish, Sky," Saladin ordered sharply. "Do you honestly think I would have let Red Fountain fall if there was the slightest chance we could save her? That sacrifice gave us the time now to send Bloom and her friends to Sparx. We need Bloom to find the Dragon Fire or else all will be lost. Do you want the Army of Decay to take over Eraklyon?"

"No," Sky said through clenched teeth, his head bowed. He was furious that they were exposing Bloom and her friends to that kind of danger, but he also knew that the headmasters had good reason for it. If they didn't stop this here, the whole universe could fall.

"I didn't think so," Saladin noted. "I have to admit that I'm rather disappointed that you would think we would do something so dangerous without good reason. We have no time for this foolishness."

"But you have to admit, Saladin, the boy has passion," Faragonda pointed out and Sky could almost hear the little wheels clinking around in her head as the headmistress for Alfea formulated a plan. "And that passion just might be the key to navigating through the obstacle fields."

"Pardon?" Sky asked, finally remembering his manners.

"We sent the Winx Club to Sparx through the Magical Reality Chamber due to the fact that that was the only option open to us at the time, and while it got the girls there instantly it cannot bring them back. So, we need a ship to risk going through the Karibian Pirate (2) territory and through the space mine fields in order to pick them up. Saladin was suggesting sending a few seniors, but I believe that you would better suited for the mission."

"Mission accepted," Sky saluted without even stopping to consider what was being asked of him. Bloom was in trouble – more than likely – and he needed to rescue her. And he wasn't alone when it came to wanting to protect the Winx Club.

"Mission accepted," Brandon saluted.

"You're not going," Sky instantly rejected. "It's too dangerous."

"That's why I have to go. I am your squire bro," Brandon pointed out with a sideways grinned. "Besides, I wouldn't let you go alone even if it wasn't in the job description."

"But we have no ships suited for inter-dimensional travel," Saladin said. He was feeling rather hesitant about sending two of his best students out in such dangerous space terrain, especially since one of them was a crowned prince who's father had recently expressed a strong disappointment in Red Fountain's protection of his son.

"If we install a Hitxikers (3) Warp Drive into one of the ships, I'm certain _I_ could be able to pilot it to Sparx," Timmy offered, stressing the point that only he could to it. Saladin's aged face wrinkled into lines of concern, but he all knew that this had to be done out of necessity. If Bloom couldn't find the Dragon Fire of Sparx, then she needed to return to Alfea immediately and come up with some other strategy.

"Fine, you boys depart as soon as possible."

* * *

It took Timmy about two and a half hours into install the Hitxikers Warp Drive into the squad ship, so Sky and Brandon had used that time to confirm directions to Sparx and to make sure they were stocked for any situation. The Karibian Pirate territory was notorious for space raids, and ships rarely traveled through that area on their own as it was safest to go in convoys. And once they got through that area they had the fun of trying to navigate through the mines lift in space from the Eve Wars (4). But all the guys were willing to go through all that and more if it meant making sure the Winx Club were safe. 

"Alright, here we go," Timmy said, his fingers flying over the control panels as he prepared for take off. They had already moved the ship to the Space Port on the outskirts of Magix, which was eerily empty. No other ships were moving and there was not a sole in sight giving the three boys the sinking feeling that something wasn't quite right in Magix.

Like all of Red Fountain's ships, the squad ship Timmy was piloting was equipped with the correct gear for space travel, but need the special launch pads of a Space Port in order for them to brake through the gravity of the Realm of Magix. The launch pad weren't really pads at all, but rather long runways with a massive arc like ramp at the end. These ramps curved upwards into a vertical strip and if approached with the right speed could send a ship through the atmosphere and break through the gravitational pull of the planet (5).The squad ship shook as it shot down the runway towards the launch ramp, and the boys could feel the pressure of the speed forcing them against the back of their chairs. They rounded the arc of the ramp and under a second they had made the ninety degree turn as the bolted towards space. Gravity pushed down upon them as the temperature started to increase. Timmy gritted his teeth as he triggered the final blast of the engines that should push them through the atmosphere, and all around him the ship trembled.

And then there was silence. The ship stopped shaking and the temperature dropped as the drifted off into the blackness of space.

Brandon let out an audible sigh. "For a second there I thought we were going to fall apart."

"We were fine," Timmy assured him, almost overflowing with self pride. "Not bad for my first space launch, huh?"

"Say what?" Brandon gasped. Prince Sky also wore a similar look of horror.

"Well, you know, I've been on my fair share of commercial space flights and I've done the take off simulation at Red Fountain, but I've never actually piloted a take off before," Timmy admitted, and the two other boys continued to stare at him. "You guys have never done a real take off either."

"We never said we could!"

"Neither did I. You just assumed."

Brandon groaned and rubbed his forehead with the balls of his hands. "Can you at least pilot the Hitxikers Warp Drive?"

"Theoretically; yes."

"Theoretically?"

"Brandon, relax," Sky said gently. The poor squire had been under a lot of stress lately what with his true identity coming out and having the entire school alienate him, then an undead Army of Decay destroyed his school and now the girl he was completely smitten for was half way across the universe on a dead plant what gods knows what on it. They really couldn't blame him for being a bit on edge. "Thanks for doing this, Timmy."

"Hey, I wonna see the girls home safe just as much as you do," Timmy pointed out.

"I know, but I feel better knowing you're here," Sky admitted before looking over at Brandon. "Both of you."

An awkward silence filled the ship as they traveled deeper into space. There had been no real forgiven and forget session for the boys since the Day of the Royals. They had joined together with the rest of the school to fight the Army of Decay, but even then they had been rather fractured. The only time they had been unified was when they went to find Lady, but they were a bit pressed for time then so they really didn't have much of a chance to talk about their feelings or any of that crap. The Winx Club and possibly all females had the amazing ability to just stop – no matter how awful the situation – and have a group hug and find something positive to laugh about. (6)

And now they did have the time to work everything out but – being guys – none of them was willing to take that first step into that emotional battle field. Sky remembered how horrible and unnatural it felt fighting at Red Fountain without have Brandon, Timmy and even Riven having his back. He never wanted to go through that.

"Hey Timmy, about that whole swapping identities thing," Sky started. "We didn't mean for it to get so far out of hand."

"I know you didn't," Timmy assured, making Sky relax a bit. Least he was listening to what he was saying isn't of point blankly blocking everything this out. "It was just a bit of a shock."

"I bet it was. And we did want to tell you, but we were worried about how you might take it and to be honest I didn't want to go back to having the pressures of the crown again," Sky confessed. He knew he could be completely honest with Brandon and Timmy. "That's really the reason why we changed places in the first place. I wanted to know what it would be like to be a normal guy for once and to not be treated differently just because of who my parents are."

"I can understand why you'd want to do that, and although it hurt that you didn't trust me but at the same time I can see why you didn't go around telling everyone. That would kind of defeat the purpose of it, huh?"

"We didn't mean to hurt you Timmy," Brandon reinstated.

"I know and I have to say no matter how angry I was, not talking to you guys was just . . .weird," Timmy told them. "And honestly, I don't think I'd like to go through that again."

"Me neither," Brandon agreed. "Distancing my self from you guys was the stupidest thing I've done in a while."

"Can I ask why you did that?" Sky asked hesitantly. He and Brandon had never had any massive fights over the years that they had known one another, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to address some of the issues if they were enough to turn Brandon against him.

"I dunno. Just something Riven said I guess."

"What did he say?"

"Just his usual crap to try and hit a nerve, and unfortunately he usually does," Brandon mumbled, and no one disagreed with him. Riven really did have an amazing ability to just look at a person and know exactly where to strike. In freshmen year he had reduced a fairy to tears just by saying the words eyebrows (7). "And, I dunno, he just seemed to make it look like you were using me Sky. You know, treating me like a servant or something. I mean I know I practically am but – "

"I would never think of you that way," Sky interrupted. He never wanted to be like those haunty nobles who treated anyone with a lower rank than them like interferer beings, and having his best friend thinking that way made him want to be sick.

"I know. It just got to me is all," Brandon sighed. "And then this whole thing with Stella didn't help. I guess the only reason she liked me was because she thought I was a prince."

"I think she was just angry because you lied to her," Timmy said. "She may still like you and just needs some time to get used to get used to all this like it did."

"Maybe," Brandon sighed again, and the ship fell silent for a moment. "So, are we cool?"

Sky was silent for a second as he pondered everything that had been said and done until finally he smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I think we are."

"Definitely," Timmy agreed.

"Excellent. Now all we need to do is get past the pirates, not explode our self on the mines, find the girls on Sprax, go back through the pirates and the mines and then try to find a way to defeat the Trix and their army of rot monsters," Brandon mentally check listed.

Sky laughed. "Piece of cake."

"You left something out," Timmy noticed. "What are we going to do about Riven?"

"What about him?" Brandon asked a bit sharply. "He's been a jerk recently."

"Yeah, I don't think that was entirely his fault."

"Riven's always been a jerk," Sky pointed out. "He's just gotten worse recently. I mean, we don't even know where he is right now. He wasn't at Red Fountain when the Army of Decay first attacked and no one's seen him since. If you ask me, I reckon he's hanging out in Cloud Tower laughing it up with Darcy and her sisters."

"Maybe, but I think it's more likely that he's at Cloud Tower keeping company with the rest of the witches and Miss Griffin."

Sky hadn't even considered that possibility. "What?"

"You think Riven got kidnapped by a bunch of high school girls?" Brandon repeated, before bursting out laughing. "That's fantastic!"

"Brandon!" Timmy scolded.

"I'm sorry but it is. That guy's been an ass."

"Yeah, he has and I think it's because Darcy's been messing around with his head," Timmy told them in a serious tone and Brandon's grin instantly dropped. Sure, Riven was a favorite for Jerk of the Year, but the idea of him being that way because of what someone else had willed him to do was just to horrible to consider. They had spent so much time over the last year hating him when he in fact had been the victim. "Brandon, when Riven crashed his bike and Darcy saved him during the Race for the Rose, didn't you say it kind of looked like Darcy was giving off a purple hazy that surround Riven?"

"Yeah," Brandon nodded, already seeing where Timmy was going with this.

"I think Darcy spelled him then and that she's been using him ever since in order to try and bust us and the Winx Club up and to spy on Bloom for her and her sisters," Timmy explained and both Sky and Brandon's face had gone very somber. Why hadn't they suspected something like this? It made sense. Darcy was known to be manipulative and there was no way under normal circumstances that Riven would allow himself to get so involved with a girl like that due to his mistrust of the female species. Why didn't they see that before? And Timmy wasn't finished yet. "There's more."

"Oh gods," Brandon groaned, running a hand through his fridge. Surely this couldn't get any worse.

"Mind control has never been an exact science since every mind is different," Timmy explained. "So there's countless side affects from messing around with someone's head, and one of the most sever is called _Darkconus Syndrome_ which is basically the mind having an allergic reaction to the spell and starts shutting down."

"And you think Riven's suffering form this _Darkconus Syndrome_," Sky finished. "What makes you so sure? I mean, no offence, but you're not exactly that experience when it come to magical diagnosis."

"Well, the main symptom of _Darkconus Syndrome _is when a persons emotions and central nervous system is disabled so they can't feel anything," Timmy said, digging through his bag he had brought and pulled out a library book the other two had seen him carrying him around the last few days. "One look at Riven's eyes tells you how emotionless he's become and then a little while ago he had that massive shard of glass go into his leg and he didn't even notice it until Bourne pointed it out."

"That was all a little weird but it really doesn't prove anything," Brandon objected as Timmy handed across the book to Sky which he had opened to one chapter. Sky glanced at the cover which read the _Ipswich Index_. "I mean, his eyes? He's been wasted or hung over virtually every day. That's gotta take the sparkle out of his eyes. And the glass thing, I dunno. Maybe he's just a freak."

"What are the other symptoms?" Sky asked, trying to find them on the page.

"Mood swings, memory lose, insomnia, loss of appetite, paranoia, anxiety," Timmy listed off the top of his head. He knew there were others, but he couldn't remember them all. "But the one that I think confirms that Riven has _Darkconus Syndrome_ is on the next page over, second paragraph."

Sky flipped the page over and found the paragraph Timmy was speaking off. He read aloud, "'In some cases where mental communication is present with sufferers of _Darkconus Syndrome_, there have be recordings of what is referred to in the mystic society as 'Resonance' (8). The infected mind is impressed with the mind that connects with it and gradually begins to reflect that mind and its abilities. In these cases, the infected mind loses its identity and its reality is distorted as foreign thoughts and memories enter it.' I don't get it."

"Basically, Riven's mind is being taken over by Darcy's without either of them knowing."

"And how do you plan to prove that?" Brandon asked. He didn't mean to be so difficult, but he couldn't accept the possibility that all this was happening and he didn't pick up on it.

"Because how else would Riven know about all this?" Timmy asked, pulling out some loose leaf sheets. The two Eraklyon's recognized the hand writing and the topic which they covered in class months ago, but the words were completely foreign.

"_When the screams of a thousand years are finally heard and the terror of the night erases day. When the moons up above are consumed by shadow then the flames down below will cause doom to rain and the creatures of the night will rise once again."_

Sky read allowed. "What is this?"

"I looked it up the night Red Fountain was first attacked," Timmy said. "That's the words that summon the Army of Decay."

"No way," Brandon gasped.

"Question is; how did he know it?"

"Darcy would have told him," Brandon answered, though even he wasn't convinced.

"I don't think that's her style," Sky disagreed, going over everything in his mind. Darcy seemed like the type of girl who kept her cards held close to her chest. He could imagine there were things that she didn't even tell her sisters about. "And I don't think Icy would approve."

"You got a point."

"So, let me get this straight; you think Riven's been acting strange recently because his mind's slowly turning into Darcy's?" Sky recapped. "That doesn't make much sense."

"Well, his mood's all out of wack and he's clearly seeing Darcy's thoughts," Timmy said, gesturing towards the sheets of paper. "You've seen him in class. It's like he's listening to something else beside the lesson. Also, he's mental skills in dragon wrangling is off the charts. No normal guy should have that level of awareness. And it would also how he managed to shatter all that glass in the armory when you were cleaning in, Sky."

"That could have been Darcy," Sky debated.

"It's kind of hard to believe that Darcy would choose the exact moment when Riven's patience broke. And if he can do that then Riven's obtaining mental skills that he shouldn't have."

"Okay, fine. Let's say he has this. How do we test it?"

"Well, I've already spoken to Javelin about it and he tends to agree with my line of thinking. He had an idea of first maybe using the dragon Rouge as like a test dummy since it was Riven who sent her insane in the first place. Javelin thinks that if there's a connection between her mind and Riven's and if she returns to sanity after that link is broken it pretty much proves that both of them had the syndrome."

"Then what?"

"Well then, the link between Riven and Darcy will be broken and the mind will be left to heal on its own accord since there is no real treatment besides breaking the link."

"What happens if the link isn't broken?" Brandon asked. "Like how serious is this _Darkconus Syndrome_?"

"Well, according to the _Ipswich Index_, virtually all cases end in either madness or suicide," Timmy answered solemnly. The squire swore loudly, getting to his feet and pacing the ship, his hand covering his mouth as he went over all the information he had just been given.

"Yeah know, I kinda hope Bloom doesn't find the Dragon Fire, because I want to be the one to finish that witch," Brandon spat, still pacing. Underneath it all Riven was still their friend and instead of watching his back so he didn't make these kinds of mistakes they had left him to that witch and her evil ways. They had abandoned him when he really needed them and they were too blind to see it. How were they any different from his family which he now hated so passionately? The poor kid had been abandoned so many times so no wonder he was so messed up. "Does he know? I mean, about all this?"

"I'm sure he knows something's not right with him, but I doubt he knows the extent of it. I don't even think he suspects it has anything to do with Darcy. I wouldn't have even looked at it this way if that witch Dominique who I'm guessing is somehow friends with Riven hadn't directed me towards the _Ipswich Index._"

"Well, we can't do much about it now, and as much as I want to go introduce Darcy to the end of my sword, we're still on a mission and we still have five girls we need to save," Sky brought them all to the task at hand. "Timmy, are you sure you can pilot this ship with the Hitxikers Warp Drive?"

"I sure can. We'll be traveling fast enough to avoid any dramas in the Karibian Pirate territory, but I'll have to slow down when we get to the space mine fields," Timmy explained, booting up the warp drive.

"Slow and steady don't go _ka-boom!_" Brandon noted, folding his arms and watching Timmy work.

"I'd hold onto something," Timmy advised. "Okay, engaging Hitxikers Warp Drive."

The ship suddenly sped up, throwing both Timmy and Sky into the backs of their chairs. Brandon, however, who had been standing when the Hitxikers Warp Drive was engaged, fell flat on his back under the sudden burst of speed. The hard, metal floor of the ship did not provide a comfortable landing, and the ships new momentum was enough the send him sliding backwards until he hit the back wall.

"Son of a . . . !" he cursed, clutching his head. Not only had he hit it when he fell to the ground but it had also been the first part of his body to connect with the wall.

"I did tell you to hold on," Timmy repeated.

"I was holding on!"

"You should have been sitting down," Sky noted calmly as he looked over their sensory. With the Hitxikers Warp Drive they were absolutely flying! He'd like to see any pirates try and catch up with them now.

"Oh shut up," Brandon grumbled, finding his chair.

They passed through the pirate territory without any issues. There were a few times where other ships appeared on their radar but they were gone before any of them could give chase. The space mines, on the other hand, was something they couldn't run away from. They had been installed during the Eve Wars when the Jillianous Faction went head to head with the Bobarndal Alliance (9). Though the two forces had called a truce years ago, the space mines had not been cleared due to the danger that surrounded them. A mine would remain stationary in space until something entered a five meter radius of it. Once that happened, it would lock onto whatever trigged it and follow after it until it hit and exploded itself.

"Alright guys. Keep your eyes open," Timmy advised, slowing right down.

"Slow and steady don't go _ka-boom!_" Brandon noted, folding his arms and watching Timmy work.

"I'd hold onto something," Timmy advised. "Okay, engaging Hitxikers Warp Drive."

The ship suddenly sped up, throwing both Timmy and Sky into the backs of their chairs. Brandon, however, who had been standing when the Hitxikers Warp Drive was engaged, fell flat on his back under the sudden burst of speed. The hard, metal floor of the ship did not provide a comfortable landing, and the ships new momentum was enough the send him sliding backwards until he hit the back wall.

"Son of a . . . !" he cursed, clutching his head. Not only had he hit it when he fell to the ground but it had also been the first part of his body to connect with the wall.

"I did tell you to hold on," Timmy repeated.

"I was holding on!"

"You should have been sitting down," Sky noted calmly as he looked over their sensory. With the Hitxikers Warp Drive they were absolutely flying! He'd like to see any pirates try and catch up with them now.

"Oh shut up," Brandon grumbled, finding his chair.

They passed through the pirate territory without any issues. There were a few times where other ships appeared on their radar but they were gone before any of them could give chase. The space mines, on the other hand, was something they couldn't run away from. They had been installed during the Eve Wars when the Jillianous Faction went head to head with the Bobarndal Alliance (9). Though the two forces had called a truce years ago, the space mines had not been cleared due to the danger that surrounded them. A mine would remain stationary in space until something entered a five meter radius of it. Once that happened, it would lock onto whatever trigged it and follow after it until it hit and exploded itself.

"Alright guys. Keep your eyes open," Timmy advised, slowing right down.

The Red Fountain ship crawled through the mines at a frustratingly slow yet necessary pace. If Timmy let the ship drift even an inch too far off their course, they could be stuck with several hundred mines on their tail. Slow and steady was the only option for them if they wanted to make it to Sprax in one piece.

"Almost there, guys," Timmy told the other two as the edge of the space mines came into view. Beyond the field there was a natural barrier of an asteroid belt that could be navigated through much more easily.

"Thank the gods. This tension is killing me," Brandon muttered, his eyes fixed on the screen in front of him and his finger ready around the trigger button of the massive guns that were set on the ships left side, ready to shoot just in case they somehow tripped one of the mines. Sky was on the right guns and was just as ready in case of an incident. If a mine suddenly locked onto them, it was up to them to shoot it down before it hit the ship which wasn't exactly an easy feat since the mines had been designed to be fast.

They were almost out of the space mine field when the warning systems suddenly went off. A red light filled the cockpit and warning sirens wailed as three mines suddenly started to follow them. Timmy cursed colourfully and increased the ships speed to try and make it to the asteroid belt before the mines caught up to them.

"There's three of them approaching us fast," Timmy told his two gunners.

"Just focus on driving, Timmy," Sky said, trying to get a lock on one of the mines. "We'll take them down."

In their training, the boys had been put through countless flight simulations that involved taking down mines, but this was the first time any of them were facing one for real and they were proving to be a lot harder to lock onto that the simulation had lead them to believe. The ships speed was causing it to shake, thus throwing off their aim, which made it hard for Brandon and Sky considering that they had to shoot carefully to avoid hitting the stationary mines and triggering a chain reaction of explosions.

"Oh c'mon. C'mon," Sky hissed between his teeth as he watched the mine he was trying to shoot down slowly close in on them. Finally, he got a lock on the mine and wasted no time pulling the trigger. The round he fired hit its target, and in a bright yellow light, the mine exploded and took out several other mines surrounding it as well. Another blast indicated that Brandon had also managed to shoot down a mine.

"Yee-ha!" Brandon grinned. "Only one more of these babies left."

"Hey, is it just me or does this mine look different than the other two?" Sky asked as he tried to lock in on the final mine that was trailing them. Unlike the other two mines, this one hadn't closed in on them as fast as a mine normally should.

"Yeah, this one looks bulkier," Brandon noted as he also tried to get a lock on it. "It's also moving a lot slower than the others were."

"Maybe it's an older model?" Sky shrugged. Maybe mines were like mobile phone and a newer more advanced model would come out every couple of months and the army would have to upgrade everything to make sure that they stayed fashionable? The prince was already dismissing that idea when Brandon suddenly stared to swear, his voice slightly panicked.

"Shit! Timmy! Get us out of here!" he ordered. "That's not a mine! It's a missile carrier!"

Timmy swore again as he pushed his speed further to try and get out into the astride belt before the carrier fired. Unlike normal space mines which simply exploded themselves on contact, missile carriers would lock onto a target and trail them till it deemed them in range and them open itself up and fire all the missiles it carried in a scatter pattern to make it impossible for anyone to shot them down. The average missile carrier could hold anywhere between thirty-five to fifty missiles that were designed to travel in a wavering path to decrease the already slim chances of someone shooting them down before they hit so the two Eraklyons and their guns were pretty much completely useless against something like that. Now, they were all counting on getting free from the mine fields to offer them some space to maneuver and Timmy's impressive flying skills. If he could just get into the asteroids he might be able to use them as cover.

"C'mon!" Timmy shouted at himself as the ship shot clear from the mine fields, but the carrier was still on their tail and they hadn't made it into the belt just yet.

"It's opening!" Brandon informed everyone. As the carrier opened itself, about forty or more missiles shot out. Sky and Brandon instantly aimed towards the general area of the missiles and stared firing randomly, hoping on the off chance that they might be able to take out a few missiles. Some explosions indicated that they had gotten lucky a few times, but there were still far too many missiles heading their way.

The ship then made a suddenly right turn that the two gunners were not ready for, sending them both flying into left hand side of their control panels as there were several large explosions outside that rocked the ship. One glance out of the windows told them that they had reached the asteroid field which Timmy was trying to navigate through at intense speeds while also trying to shake off the missiles that were still trailing them.

"C'mon. You can do this," Timmy hissed to both himself and the ship. By ducking behind asteroids, he planned dodge out of harms way and cause the entire group of missile to detonate themselves and leave them completely unscathed.

Hopefully.

The ship made another sudden turn, throwing Brandon face first into the control panel in front of him. The squire clutched onto it and closed his eyes, knowing it was all up to Timmy now. The ship continued to shutter as it continued to weave in and out of the asteroids. Several large explosions told the squire without looking that some of the missiles had hit a few of the space rocks, but who knew how many missiles were still on their tail. Tightly closing his eyes, Brandon silently prayed for the chance to see his parents and his little brother again and not be exploded into tiny little pieces out in the middle of nowhere in space. And he also wished that he'd be able to see Stella again. Another loud explosion rocked the ship, and Brandon braced his body, waiting for it all to end.

And then there was silence.

Looking up ever so slowly, Brandon instantly looked to the ships windows to see that they we no longer traveling at perilous speeds through giant masses of space rocks and most importantly, they were not exploded into thousands of little pieces.

"Yay-yah!!!" Brandon suddenly exclaimed, jumping to his feet and almost causing the other two boys in the ship to have heart attacks. "Timmy!! You did it man!! You actually freaking did it!!"

All Timmy responded with was taking deep, shuttering breathes as he tried to stop himself from shaking after he had almost jumped out of his skin at his friends jubilation.

"Brandon! Don't you ever do that again!" Sky ordered, also shaking. But his squire choose to ignore him, running over to shake Timmy back and forth in his seat while continuing to shout 'You did it! You did it! We're alive!'

After Brandon was restrained and Sky and Timmy felt they had hit him over the head enough times to make up for scaring the living day lights out of them, the squad ship and its crew continued on to Sparx without any more dramas.

* * *

Sparx was exactly as Sky expected it to be; deserted, cold and quite possibly one of the best snow fields the universe had on offer. With the help of thermal imaging, Timmy managed to track down the girls location fairly quickly and they quickly headed off in that direction. 

"Hey, that looks like a castle up ahead," Sky noted as an ice covered structure suddenly appeared on screen. And swarming its walls was a vast wave of ice crabs that seemed to be under the command of a giant, white snow monster. And there was no denying that the Winx Club had an amazing ability to get themselves into danger. "Yup, this is the place."

"Seriously, we've got consider finding those girls a leash or something to try and keep them out of trouble," Brandon sighed, noticing the snow monster was trying to get into the castle. "Timmy, shot that hairy thing before we land. I have a feeling that he's gonna be trouble."

"You got it," Timmy grinned, taking aim and firing. The monster reeled as the laser hit him, and Timmy slowly took the squad ship in for a landing. Sky wasted no time jumping out of the ship into the snow.

"Looks like somebody wants a piece of us guys," the prince noted as Brandon and Timmy joined him outside. A large bunch of the ice crabs had already moved in on their ship while the rest were still trying to swarm the castle. There was no sign of the Winx Club.

"Let's get 'em," Brandon said as Sky extended his blade. Timmy pulled out his gun while Brandon took out his broadsword. They may be fighting on a planet they had never been to before, but as long as they were fighting alongside one another, there was something calmly familiar about them going into battle.

Sky wasted no time charging into the horde of ice crabs that were moving in on them. His blue phantom blade cleanly cut through the first row of crabs, causing them to shatter and fall to the ground in thousands of tiny pieces. While the new layer of ice made the ground beneath their feet more slippery, Sky was thankful that they didn't have to deal with the hazard of trying to get over a whole pile of crab corpses as they fought, and he was even more grateful that these monsters had the curtsey of staying down once they were defeated unlike the Army of Decay. Behind him, Sky could hear both Brandon and Timmy take down their fair share of ice crabs.

But no matter how many monsters they cut down, the ice crabs outnumber them in a number too great to count, and for every crab they killed, five more would take its place.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sky hissed as a fresh wave of crabs moved in to place the seven he had just shattered. Cursing his initial idea to charge into the crabs on his own, Sky started moving back towards where his two friends were in the notion that there was safety in numbers, even if that number was three verses what looked like a million. The other two probably had the same idea, because the prince suddenly felt his back press up against his two friends as the crabs moved in to completely surround them.

"How dangerous are these things?" Brandon asked.

"They can make fairies disappear," Timmy answered, his gun raised at the approaching ice army. "But I'm not sure what they can do to us."

"Let's not find out," Sky said, though he knew it wasn't as if any one was curious. The ice crabs were all clicking their large, pincers against the ground and started to move in on the heroes, but the boys knew what they needed to do. "Go!"

Jumping out of their tight circle, each boy moved out to try and extend the area of ground they had to fight on. Timmy filled the sky with shots from his gun while Sky slashed at every crab in his path. But it was Brandon that was able to do the most damage with his broadsword. In the same way that he had blocked the other Cloud Tower witches during their little showdown in Magix, Brandon slammed his blade down into the ice to slow the ice crabs approaching them from his side. With the ice crabs temporarily confused, Brandon swiped his broadsword across the monsters and in one wave managed to shatter around twenty crabs. But in a few seconds, the gap he had just created was filled with a new batch of enemies.

"Oh, this is ridiculous!" Brandon complained, taking another swing of his blade. "I mean, we survive an army of rotting gods knows what to get taken out by an army of ice crustaceans! And it gets even better! If we make it out of this one, we get to go back and play with the rot again!"

"We can't keep fighting like this," Timmy noted, shooting out a few more crabs. "There's just too many ice crabs for us to fight out to the death. We need to get the girls and get out of here."

"Timmy's right," Sky agreed. "But where are they?"

"According to the thermal imagining scanner, they were already inside the castle when we landed."

"Right, I'll go in first and you guys try and follow me," Sky explained. "Brandon, can you open up a path for me?"

"Coming right up," the squire said, raising his sword above his head and then slamming it down onto the ice. The green blast continued past the end of his blade and cut through the horde of ice crabs. The second the light faded, Sky took off at a sprint to get through the ice army before they moved in to fill the gap Brandon had just opened up. Slashing through the last few crabs that stood in his way, Sky entered the derelict palace of the royal family of the greatest civilization in the universe.

The inside of the palace was rather dark and even colder. Ice and snow had drifted into the halls of the once great palace and the air seemed to hold the feeling of grief, as if the building itself was mourning the lost of its people and the royal family that used to live inside it. But as well as grief, there seemed to be a strong sense of evil that seemed to radiate from the walls, a sign that although the witches of the Evil Covent may be gone, their presence still remained. It was hard to believe that one of those witches was the grandmother – or possibly great grandmother – of the Trix, who were trying to destroy Magix in the same way. Sky shuttered at the though of Magix, a place that was practically his home away from home, might end up like this place.

But Sky didn't have time to stand around and think about what might happen. Moving quickly yet quietly through the abandon halls of the palace, Sky strained his ears for any sound that might tell him where the girls had run to. He could hear the shuttling of the ice crabs frozen feet across the stone floors and the groan of the snow which had settled on the palace, but other than that he heard no other sound. Then –

"Here they come!" a voice drifted through the empty halls and Sky felt his heart stop.

"That's Blooms voice," Sky said to himself, taking off in the direction of that angelic sound. He just had to get there in time. Bloom was here without her powers, and although he knew the Winx Club were more that capable to take care of themselves, he knew that they be much better off if he was there to guard Bloom so that they could focus on taking out the ice crabs with their magic.

"Flora!" Bloom's voice called out and Sky followed it and the sounds of the other girls fighting until he came to what looked like a ballroom. Back when Sparx was in its glory, this room would no doubt have had been used to hold many grad functions was elegant music, pleasant company and the nights sky shinning through the glass roof above them. But now, snow blocked out the sky, the company was an army of ice crabs bent on destroying them and the only music was that given off by Musa as she blasted a group of crabs that Tecna had trapped in her digital web. Flora and Stella were also in the air, shooting at the ice crabs that were scuttling along the ground, and standing in the centre of the room watch them was a red haired fairy that made Sky's heart pound. "Great team work."

After allowing himself one second to marvel at the beauty of the earth girl, Sky quickly cleared his mind of emotion to focus on the battle before him but cause just as that very moment, both he and Bloom became aware of an ice crab that had gotten passed the Winx Clubs attacks, move in on the defenseless fairy.

"Bloom!" Stella shouted in alarm as the crab lunged at her friend and Bloom closed her eyes and braced herself for the inevitable. But it never came because Sky quickly bolted across the room, his sword ready and sliced the crab directly through the centre. The crab glowed as the phantom blade ripped through it and shattered into a thousand pieces.

"Oh hey," Bloom greeted casually, as if she had expected to find him here, light years from Magix.

Unbeknownst to them, during their efforts to hold off the wave of ice crabs that still existed outside, Brandon and Timmy had ended climbing up the snow drifts and onto one of the roofs of the palace. They were just seconds away from being completely surrounded by the ice army, when they both noticed that they were in fact now standing on glass and could see Sky and the Winx Club below them. Since escape for them was impossible and their friends needed their help, the boys did then logical thing; they broke the glass they were standing on and quite literally dropped in on the battle.

"Hi Bloom," Sky said calmly, getting to his feet as Brandon and Timmy fell to the ground.

"Don't worry girls," Brandon said as he landed, and pins and needles shot through his feet and up his legs after jumping from such a height. "We're here."

"We'll get you out of this," Sky promised, running into a group of ice crabs and chopping them in half. Around him, Sky knew that his friends were doing the same thing until virtually all the crabs were taken out. However, before they could pat each other on the back for a job well done, there was a deep thud that sounded almost exactly like a footstep, though it sounded like it belonged to one massive pair of feet.

"Did hear that?" Tecna asked in a wavering voice.

"What?" Brandon asked just as a shadow moved across the roof from the hole Timmy and him had created, and it was accompanied by a deep growl.

"That."

Looking up, the Winx Club and the heroes felt a fresh wave of dread wash over them as a massive, brown eye blink down at them through the hole in the roof. It was surrounded by snow white fur and was accompanied by the same deep growl they had heard before.

"Uh oh," Brandon muttered as the snow monster realized where they all where hiding. They eye moved away and was replaced with a giant hand that Brandon instantly started slashing at.

"Wait here," Sky ordered Bloom after he had dragged her out of harms way. Timmy stayed with her, gun ready, as Sky moved in to take a few swings at the open palm of the monster. Tiny little cuts etched themselves across the skin of the monster, and given the monster size and the fine, sharp edges of Sky and Brandon's blades, the cuts must have been like paper cuts to the beast. The monster retracted his throbbing hand and growled angry as he stared down at the heroes with blazing brown eyes. There was no denying that it wanted revenge.

"Oh no. How are we going to beat this guy?" Timmy asked from his place next to Bloom.

"Don't worry boys. We're here. We'll save you," Stella said, flying up to the hole in the glass where she was quickly joined by Tecna, Musa and Flora. At Musa's command, the four fairies flew outside to take on the beast on their own.

"You just had to ask, didn't you?" Brandon grumbled to Timmy, a little ticked off that his girlfriend (if he could even call her that) had so casually rejected their help.

"Does it really matter?" Bloom asked, her eyes fix on the girls fighting above them.

"Yes. We're meant to be the rescue party! Not the other way around!"

"This is hardly the time," Sky scolded.

"And if it makes you feel any better, we promise not to tell anyone else," Bloom smirked, to which Brandon simply responded with an un-amused looked. The red head smiled at him, then turned her attention back to her friends. "Hey Tecna! Why don't you use the world wide web to limit his movement?"

"Great idea," the digital fairy replied. "I'll trap him."

"When all this is over, you should consider going to see one of our teachers, Professor Javelin. You're a pretty good battle strategist and he loves natural talent," Timmy said to Bloom as Tecna trapped the monster and Flora, with the help of Stella's sunlight, caused some flowers to grow over the net. Finally, Musa used her sound waves to trigger the blast buds, finishing the snow monster once and for all.

"But if she does that, she'll probably become better at strategy then we are," Brandon pointed out.

"Threatened, Brandon?" Bloom asked cheekily.

"Well yeah. I'm sure you would be too if I suddenly became better that you at running around in mini shirts and high heels."

Laughing, Bloom turned and ran into one of the hallways that attached onto the ballroom. "Come on you guys!"

Left with little other choice, the heroes followed her through the halls of her palace until her made her way outside. The only thing that remained of the snow monster was a massive imprint of its body from where it fell, and without their commander, the ice crabs had scuttled off back into the wilderness. Stella, her scepter in hand, was entertaining herself by shooting some of the slower ones.

"Take that you little nasties," she shouted, blasting one ice crab into pieces. "Try to make me disappear, now do you?"

"Guys!" Bloom shouted, running out of her palace and into the snow. The Winx Club suddenly erupted into laughter, cheers and squeals that made the boys ears hurt as the rest of the ground flew down to embrace Bloom in one massive group hug. Flora, Musa, Tecna and Stella transformed back into snow clothes exactly like Blooms and babbled for five minutes straight about how awesome they had all been during the fight.

"Do you think they even realize that we're here?" Sky asked his friends as they waited from the girls over by their ship. His voice must have caught the attention of Musa's sonar ears because she suddenly looked up and made her way over to them. After a slight pause, the rest of the Winx Club followed.

"So what are you guys doing here?" Musa asked. "I get the feeling that you weren't just in the area and decided to drop in."

"We're thinking of taking a career as taxi drivers," Brandon joked, feeling somewhat uneasy at the way Stella was looking at him. Last time they had spoken was the Day of the Royals, and she had only seemed interested in slapping him in the face.

"Oh really?" Stella said, and Brandon flinched at her cold tone.

"Faragonda and Saladin sent us to come and pick you girls up," Timmy explained since technically there had been no dramas between him and the girls. "The magical reality chamber got you here, but it's a one way trip and we need you girls back in Magix."

"How is everything thing back there?" Flora asked, eager to know if her school was still standing.

"Red Fountain has fallen," Timmy answered swiftly, trying to get it said as fast as possible so as not to prolong the pain, much like the way you quickly rip off a Band-Aid. The girls' response was instant, with gasps, horrified looks and small words of condolence. They all knew how attached one could get to their school since it was also their home for most of the year. "There's still no word from the rest of the Cloud Tower witches, but the Trix have move all their focus to Alfea. When we left they haven't begun attacking, but that may have changed since we've been here."

"Why are they taking their time with it?" Tecna asked. "I would have thought the senior witches would give no hesitation to enslave Magix now that they have the Dragon Fire."

"Who knows what they're thinking," Timmy shrugged. "But what we do know is that every hour that passes, their army grows. Did you happen to find the Dragon Fire, Bloom?"

"No," Bloom said solemnly, shaking her head. "We found a few clues, but no flame. I think that the only place where I'll find the Dragon Fire is at Cloud Tower with the senior witches."

"Well we better get back there then," Sky mumbled, unwilling to look the girls in the eye.

"Hold on a minute," Stella stopped sharply. "Why should we go with you? We don't even know who _you_ are."

"Stella," Flora begged under her breath, but the Princess's look was determined. Her honey eyes were hard and her expression was un-amused. And Brandon felt as though his heart was in a vice.

"Look, we know what we did was wrong, but we never meant for anyone to get hurt. We were going to tell you but . . . Oh I dunno, I guess we thought you might not like us if you found out the truth and the last thing we wanted to do was to lose you guys as friends, although that seemed to kind of backfired on us. And I can understand that you might never want to speak to us again after all this is over, but I've gotta be honest and say that it sucked not speaking to you girls. So I'm just gonna say how sorry I am and hope that you girls find it in your heart to forgive us," Brandon said on behalf of both Sky and himself. Flora, Tecna and Musa all smiled warmly, but Bloom still had he head lower slightly, avoiding their gaze, and Stella was as cold as the ice that surrounded them. Swallowing hard, Brandon forced a cheery expression. "So what do you say Stella? Friends?"

Stella moved closer to him, her expression still unreadable. Unable to decipher an answer out of her face, Brandon tried desperately to keep the anxiety and anguish out of his face. He knew his eyes were the most likely part of his face to betray him, but he just couldn't look away from those golden eyes. He would find out later that it was the emotion and honesty in his eyes that made Stella forget her pride and give him the second chance she had wanted to give him ever since the Day of the Royals.

Stella suddenly smiled, making Brandon's heart soar before it slammed against his rib cage as the princess's slim arms wrapped around his neck. "Okay."

A rather foolish smile spread across the squires face and he suddenly became light headed. Everything – the ice crabs that had almost killed them all, the fall of Red Fountain and the psychotic Trix Sister and their Army of Decay – dissolved away as Stella's flawless face beamed at him, her cheeks rosy from the cold and her eyes glowing. Brandon didn't think he had ever seen her more beautiful. "You look good."

Stella's smile widened, but no matter how much the two of them want to just grin at adoringly at one another in the snow, this wasn't the time nor the place and Tecna brought them back to reality by clearing her throat. "So how did you manage to get to Sparx?" the digital fairy asked.

"We added a special warp drive to the ship to enable intra-dimensional travel. Then we had to fly through enemy territory and survive obstacle fields," Sky explained, trying to make it sound as casual as possible, but a few wide eyes and opened mouths told him that the amount of effort the boys had put into getting to Sparx wasn't lost on the girls. Unfortunately, Bloom still had her head lowered; showing that she still wasn't sure how she felt about him. "It wasn't such a big deal really. I was just glad we able to find you."

Brandon grinned at his friends' understatement but he could see that his prince was rather upset that Bloom wasn't looking at him both adoringly and gratefully like Stella was doing to his squire. The guy needed a wingman to talk him up. "My boy wouldn't stop no matter what. All he wanted to do was help Bloom."

Flora instantly turned all gushy at his words. "That's so nice, and romantic."

Sky felt a small smile tug at the corner of his mouth at Brandon's little input, but died as Stella just as easy shot it out of the sky. "Hold your horses, Miss Cheery. No one said he's off the hook yet."

The Crown Prince of Eraklyon could stop his lower lip from sticking out slightly at his disappointment. How come Brandon got let off the hook but not him? That's hardly fair.

"Come on you guys. We've got a long trip ahead of us and after that we've got a universe to save," Timmy informed them all, and the group climbed aboard the squad ship.

* * *

The trip home, as always, seemed to be faster than the trip there. They passed through the mine fields without drama this time thanks to the fact that Tecna help Timmy with the piloting, warning him whenever he drifted one hundredth of a millimeter in the wrong direction. The Hitxikers Warp Drive once again kept them out of reach of the pirates, but they still gave chase, bless their souls. Musa and Stella had encouraged them along, even getting Timmy to slow down a bit to allow the pirates to catch up slightly before they sped off again with the two princesses roaring with laughter. 

Once they had traveled through the Karibian Pirate territory, the ship slowed down to its normal speed. Musa was lulling everyone into a peacefully calm mood with her flute. Bloom had taken a seat towards the back of the ship and had been very quiet throughout the entire trip. But given everything that had happened and everything that was expected of her they really could blame her.

Sky had tried to work up the nerve to approach her several times since they had left Sprax, but every time he'd chicken out. He thought that he was suffering in silence, but he should have known he could never get anything past Brandon. So he wasn't that surprised, although a bit alarmed, when he best friend made his way over to him and muttered under his breath so no one else could hear him, "If you don't go over and talk to her now, I am going to get that photo of you when me and Will accidentally cut your hair while you were sleeping and you ended up with a mullet and circulate it around the school."

Sky gawked at his squire. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh I would."

"But we don't have a school anymore."

"But we still have a student body. And who knows, we might get a new school by next year and I'm sure Jared could get you on the front page of the school newspaper if I really press it."

"I hate you."

"I know, now get to it."

Breathing deep, Sky made his way to the back of the ship. He was grateful that Musa was playing since that might do something to cover up their conversation, but he saw one of Stella's eyes open and look at him as walked passed so he knew she was going to do her very best to eavesdrop in.

"Ah, Bloom?" Sky said nervously and he suddenly found a pair of breathtaking blue eyes locked on him.

"Yeah?"

Sky sighed and took a seat along side her. He needed to get things cleared up between them for nothing more than it would be one less thing she might have on her mind. Plus, there was also the off chance that they might go back to where they were before the whole mess of the Day of the Royals. "There's something I wanted to tell you."

"Yeah?" Bloom said again.

"This whole thing about me being Prince Sky but pretending to be Brandon . . ." Sky trailed off, not certain what he should say after that. He had been rehearsing what he would say to her in his head for the last few days, but when it got to show time he choked.

Bloom, however, wanted to hear what he had to say. "Yeah? Just tell me."

"Right. Well I'm sorry," Sky got right to the point. "I just wanted to see how it feels to be a regular guy for once."

"Yeah, well, I understand all that but you don't have to lie to me and humiliate me," Bloom told him honestly, and although Sky knew that he needed to hear that, it still made him flinch.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I care about you Bloom. That is why I broke off my arranged marriage to Diaspro," Sky told her. He had been debating for days whither or not to tell her, but he figured that he had kept far too much from her already not to come right out and be completely honest with her. And when he saw the way her eyes light up, he didn't regret his decision to tell her in the slightest.

"I'm so glad you did," Bloom told him before quickly back stepping to try and cover her eagerness and delight at his news. "I mean it's cool you did 'cause, you know, arranged marriages are so old school."

Despite the fact that he was swelling in delight inside at her reaction, he still didn't want to think he was ignoring what he had done. "I feel terrible. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

Bloom seemed to ponder the thought for a seconded, then smiled as the answer came to her. "Actually there is one thing."

Sky suddenly became hesitant. "Okay?"

"It's too weird calling you Prince Sky, so I want to call you something else," Bloom told him, giving him a sly look. She put on a great show as if she was really thinking about it, but Sky suspected that she already knew what she wanted to call him. "Like, er, how bout, er . . . baby?"

Sky couldn't contain himself and burst out laughing. But the more he thought about it the more he liked. Diaspro had pummeled him with countless pet names since their engagement was arranged, but never once had she called him baby. It was a first for him. "That's cool. I like Baby."

Bloom giggled as he repeated her new name for him and then smiled at him for the first time since the Day of the Royals. But then Sky and her suddenly became aware that they had an audience and their smiles of delight turned into embarrassed grins. Letting out a nervous little laugh, Bloom tired to change the focus. "So Musa, was that a new song you wrote? It was awesome."

"You are aware that I stopped playing ages ago?" the musical fairy smirked, and Sky noticed some red colouring enter Bloom's cheeks.

"Well why don't you play it again?" Sky suggested. With a laugh, Musa raised her flute to her lips as Timmy piloted the ship through space back to Magix where the Trix and the Army of Decay was waiting for them.

* * *

_(1) I always hated picket in cadets. I'd always try and work m way out of it_

_(2) Karibian Pirates? Sounds an awful lot like Caribbean, doesn't it? _

_(3) That name is mainly taken from 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' since it is the best book to have with you when you go on a inter-galactical trip. I just stuck a X in to make it sound spacey _

_(4) That was the name of the war in the anime Gundam Wing_

_(5) They have launch pads very similar to this in Gundam Wing. There are a lot of thing in this chapter inspired by the Gundams series since they already had a pretty good space society set up. The space mines are one of those inspirations _

_(6) They do that every episode! Something bad happens but they just have a group hug and laugh about it. Like when the witches went to Earth, tortured Blooms family, stole her power and then vanished to d god knows what, her and Stella have a hug fest with her parents. The big, climacteric ending is about to happen in the season but are they worried? Nah! Everything things cool because Bloom loves her parents. God. Would it kill them not to end on a happy note? _

_(7) That was from Scrubs_

_(8) Resonance was a way that the Whispered could talk mentally to one another in Full Metal Panic and although it's a useful way of communicating it's also very dangerous. Tessa explain is with a cup of tea when she adds the milk to it. The two liquids merge together and can't be separated. As a result, a person's awareness could be lost completely_

_(9) I was writing this while watching the Biggest Loser and I need two armies to battle it out with one another_

_Man that was a long chapter. Actually, they're all pretty long from this point in. Damn_

_TBC_


	22. Mission to Cloud Tower

_I have an issue with this episode. See if you can spot it._

* * *

**Mission to Cloud Tower**

"We're coming up to Alfea now girls," Timmy announced after they had entered Magix's atmosphere. Once he was certain that the ship had been classified as friendly by the school of fairies, he began procedure for landing. He noticed Tecna let out a small sigh of relief from her place sitting next to him at the controls as Alfea came into view. Throughout the trip home she had stressed the point to the other girls that it was highly unlikely that the Trix would have destroyed their school before they got back, but it appears that she was very much relieved to have some confirmation.

"I really think it's tacky to come back empty handed from a trip," Stella complained loudly. "I know we didn't find the Dragon Fire but we should have at least picked up some T-Shirts."

"I really don't think anyone expects souvenirs for a dead planet Stella," Bloom pointed out as Timmy took the ship down for a graceful landing. He opened the ships hatch to allow the others to get off while he finished shutting down the ship.

"Okay," Stella dismissed as she made it back to solid ground, followed closely by the rest of the Winx Club and the Red Fountain boys. Waiting for them in the quad was their two head masters, Miss. Faragonda and Professor Saladin. Both of them seemed relieved at their students safe return, but they still looked exhausted. Everyone guessed that the two headmasters would not have found much rest while they were gone.

"Welcome home girls," Miss Faragonda greeted them, her cheery voice showing no evidence of her fatigue. "I'm glad you're all safe. It was a brave mission."

Bloom smiled at her headmistresses words. "Thanks Miss Faragonda."

Saladin regarded his students for a moment before asking, "So, you were able to help the girls?"

"Well, they were fine without us," Sky admitted honestly. While they had been able to take out their fair share of ice crabs, he was willing to admit that they had nothing on that snow monster. When it got down to it, probably the most useful thing they did for the girls was offer them a lift home. The three boys went to the finest school for heroics and bravery and what do they become? Chauffeurs.

"No, he's just being modest," Bloom instantly corrected. "The boys totally saved us back there."

"Yeah. They should totally get major extra credit," Stella added and Sky and Brandon could suppress a grin spreading across their faces. It was obvious to them that the girls no longer held any hard feelings towards them if they were so eager to talk them up like that.

"Check it out! Kiko made a new friend," Musa exclaimed. Everyone followed her pointing finger to see Blooms pet rabbit, Kiko playing leap frog with a little duckling that the boys noticed looks strangely familiar.

"What is it with ducks?" Brandon muttered to Timmy under his breath.

"How weird. That's Icy's duck," Stella noted. "How did he get here?"

"Er, I brought him with me," a deep voice answered as the ogre, Knut, moved to stand by the tiny little animals that were rolling over each other. The ogre looked nervous as he addressed the girls, but he had tried to destroy them in the past so it was to be expected.

"Oops, we forgot to tell the girls that he's switched sides," Timmy said as the girls instantly went on the defensive.

"Trouble," Stella said and Musa agreed.

"It's alright girls," their headmistress calmed them down. "The ogre is on our side now."

"He tried to stop the witches and we're letting him stay," Saladin explained.

Stella didn't look too impressed with the situation since he had attacked her on Earth with a bunch of ghouls and then a hunter troll, but she was willing to accept that there were more important things at hand. "That's peachy-kay with me as long as he improves his hygiene."

"I'm sorry if I'm a little stinkier than usual," Knut apologized. "I've had to do a lot of fighting."

"Oh, it's fine. We have bigger problems than OBO right now," Ms. Faragonda dismissed it but she had a slightly pained expression on her face, indicating that his smell did in fact bother her.

"That thing is so gross," Stella muttered to Brandon as Flora offered the groups help again.

"Yeah, but he might be able to help us defeat the witches and save Aflea," the squire told her. He knew what it was like to lose your school to the Trix and he didn't think Stella wanted to found out just how awful that was.

"Hmm, I never thought of it that way," Stella admitted, moving over to place her hand on the ogers shoulder. "I have and extra bottle of perfume. You want it?"

Knut jumped up and pulled her into an unexpected sideways hug. Stella's face instantly blanched. "Thank you!"

"Take two."

Trying to hide the smile he had formed at her suffering, Brandon turned his head so the princess couldn't see his face and noticed a few of his classmates were busy moving supplies around the school. They looked just as depressed as Brandon had felt when he had arrived at Alfea not long ago and he wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Hey, the guys look really down," Tecna noted, watching them work.

"Well, it figures," Bloom said. "The witches destroyed the whole Red Fountain campus, right?"

Ms. Faragonda bowed her head. "That's correct. The boys are setting up quarters here at Alfea." Despite the gravity of the situation, the girls couldn't contain their delight at that news. "Young ladies, the situation has become extremely dire. In my entire career I've never had to deal with anything like this."

"Once you get settled in we'll sit down and discuss the best course of action," Saladin told them all.

"We need to be prepared for the worst now. They will surly try to destroy Alfea next," Faragonda added. "But right now you need to get yourselves something to eat and maybe try to get a few hours sleep. None of you are any good to us if you're about to collapse from exhaustion."

"I'm starving," Stella settled, heading off towards Alfea's kitchen. There, they found Red Fountain's chef Jacob bickering with his older brother and Alfea's chef, Maestro.

"I didn't touch that dull piece of metal you call a knife," Jacob spat at his sibling, both hands planted on his bony hips.

"_Yes you dddddiiiidddddd!!!!" _the Maestro sung back at him, his giant belly swelling in comparison to his little brother.

"Why would I even want to use it? A spoon could cut better than that. Honestly, haven't you ever heard of sharpening them?" Jacob asked. Maestro replied in his native tongue and the argument escalated from there, but none of the teenagers could understand what they were saying. But as Maestor's face got redder and redder, they started to get a pretty clear idea who was winning the fight. Finally, after one comment that left the Aflea chef resembling a tomato and far too angry for words, the older chef stormed out of the kitchen. Jacob said a word they didn't understand and laughed wickedly before finally noticing that there had been an audience to their little row. "Oh, hello. What are you lot doing here?"

"We just came here to see if we can get something to eat," Sky answered since the girls seemed slightly terrified of the man that could get their chef to act that way.

"Sure. There's plenty here," Jacob told them, giving them free run of the kitchen. "My brother may be a twit sometimes, but he sure knows how to stock a kitchen."

Famished from their trip and their battle with the ice crabs, the teenagers raided as much food as they could and then silently started devouring the mountain they had collected. Finally, after he had eaten enough so that he was able to talk, Timmy asked, "So, what's been happening since we left?"

"Nothing really," Jacob shrugged from where he sat sharpening his blades. Whither he planned to use them for cooking or fighting, the boys couldn't tell. "Red Fountain's still a giant ice cube as far as we can tell, but the dragons are going about changing that. We've spotted several of them fighting and their flames are starting to melt out the school. We're not sure, but we think the dragons are more focused on fighting each other than us, so hopefully they won't join the witches army."

"That's good," Brandon said. Bad enough they had to fight an undying army, but if the dragons joined them they'd be unstoppable.

"Any word on that the Trix are up to?" Bloom asked the chef.

Jacob let off a few colourful curses to express how he felt about the witches that had caused the fall of Red Fountain, and his words made the girls pale before answering, "They're still hiding away in Cloud Tower. No word on the rest of the witches, but we all reckon that the Trix are just wasting time in there until their army's large enough to take out Alfea now that Red Fountain has joined them."

"They have to be stopped."

"Don't have to tell me that. The problem is that no one knows exactly how to do that, and all the answers seem to be hidden at Cloud Tower," Jacob said, getting to his feet. "Well, I better go find that lard pile of a brother of mine and apologize. You know, family and all."

"I'm gonna see if I can catch some Z's before the next attack," Musa yawned and her friends nodded in agreement.

"Where are you boys going to sleep?" Flora inquired.

"They've already cleared out several of your classrooms for us and we've set up cots in there," Timmy answered, standing.

"Have a good nap, boys," Stella said, covering her mouth as she yawned before heading off towards her dorm.

"Come on Bloom," Sky said, getting his hand to help her stand. "You must be exhausted."

"Yeah, I am," she answered, but she seemed distracted by deep thought. As they walked through the halls of Alfea, Sky could have thought he heard her whisper, "All the answers are hidden at Cloud Tower."

* * *

Sky was awoken by someone shaking his shoulder. Fighting to remain asleep, the prince groaned and pulled the blankets tighter around himself, but the person shaking him didn't quit. 

"Sky, get up."

"Go away," Sky mumbled, keeping his eyes tightly closed. The person tired again and when he got the same response, he stopped shaking the sleeping blonde. Sky grinned to himself and was just letting himself drop back into his slumber when he felt one side of his bed sharply lift up, spending him crashing onto the floor, sheets and all.

"I told you to get up," Brandon said, lowering the cot back down.

"What did you do that for?" Sky growled, glaring at his friend.

"We're needed in Faragonda's office," Brandon explained. "Bloom and Stella have been in there for the last half an hour and it seems that they have some kind of plan."

"Still, you didn't have to throw me out of bed like that," Sky grumbled, getting to his feet and following his squire towards the headmistress's office. He had fallen asleep in his uniform so there was no need for him to change.

"I tried to wake you normally bro, but you just wouldn't get up," Brandon pointed out. When he reached to doors to Faragonda's office, he knocked politely and entered when the fairy headmistress beckoned him. Inside they found not only Faragonda, Bloom and Stella, but also Saladin, Codatorta, Wizgiz and Knut. "Sorry we're late. I had a little trouble trying to wake up sleeping beauty here."

"I believe it's traditionally done with a kiss," Stella giggled.

"I'm sure it is, but tipping over the bed works pretty well too."

"This is hardly the time for jokes, Brandon," Codatorta growled and in response the squire closed his mouth and stood up a little straighter.

"Thank you, Codatorta," Faragonda smiled pleasantly, before turning to address Bloom. "Bloom, I must ask you one more time; Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"I know that it's dangerous but I don't have any other choice," Bloom replied. "It's what I have to do."

Saladin, however, seemed hesitant about what ever it is that they were going to do. "But are you sure we should allow her to proceed?"

"I am certain that Bloom has good instincts," Faragonda assured him before looking at Bloom again. "Go ahead with your plan."

It was then that Sky suddenly realized he had no idea what they were talking about. All he knew was that Bloom was involved and it was dangerous, and he didn't like that in the slightest. "Er, excuse me, but what is the plan?"

"We're sending you on a mission to infiltrate Cloud Tower and Bloom is the squad leader," Saladin explain, and Sky turned to stare at the red haired fairy who just giggled nervously. "Both of you boys will be under her direct command."

"What?" Brandon exclaimed. Under the command of a girl? No way! She was just a freshmen. Since when did freshmen's get to boss around sophomores? He suddenly noticed Stella was glaring at him as if she was just daring him to argue Blooms command and he suddenly realized it might be in his best interests if he just kept his mouth shut for once.

Sky, however, was not as will to accept his headmasters decision. They were putting Bloom in danger and for what reason? To go see what the Trix were up to? Nah-uh. He was not going to let them endanger her like that, not when he had just got her talking to him again. "Bloom, how can you think of going anywhere near the witches when you don't even have your powers?"

Bloom seemed to have already prepared an answer for him. "Listen, I have to believe that I'll get the Dragon Fire back. I don't know how, but I do know it's the right course."

But Sky still didn't think she had thought this through. "How will you get in?"

"Well, we'll take the tunnels," Knut answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Sky stared at him. Not only was it impossible to pick out a path the tunnels that were under Cloud Tower, but they were constantly watch to avoid people sneaking up on the school for witches even in peace times. It was only logical to think that the Trix would have taken over that too.

"When Knut was a kid he used to play in the tunnels so he knows how to avoid the surveillance system," Bloom said, almost as if she was reading his mind. "Once we get in well figure the rest out, okay?"

Sky still didn't like it. There was just too much room for error. "You're disregarding the first lesson of tactics. You always need to have a plan."

"Except that there is no way to have a plan, so the way I see it, we can either stay here and be totally overwhelmed or we can do something!" Bloom argued and Sky saw that there was reason in her thinking. Plus, it was pretty obvious that she was going to go through with it, with or without him. "So what do you guys say? Are you with me?"

"I see your point. Count me in."

"Okay, great. We just got to get our stuff so met us by the well when you're ready."

Ms. Faragonda moved over to Bloom and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Bloom, I want you to proceed with caution but also with haste. The signs are unmistakable. Look," she said, pointing to her mirror which turned black. "The final attack is coming."

"You can count on us, Ms. F," Bloom promised her.

"And I expect you boys to listen to Bloom," Saladin said to his two students. "Don't forget who's in charge."

"Yes sir!" both saluted, but they were still reluctant about this whole mission. It seemed doomed to them.

* * *

"So, what do you think about all this?" Brandon as he landed at the bottom of the well. It was a strange well because the water was surrounded by a ledge that one could use to get into the tunnels that lead to Cloud Tower when the water was low enough, as it was now. The ledge was covered with moss and other slimly things that made even standing difficult, but Knut said it would get better as they moved further into the tunnels. The ogre had gone ahead to pick out the right trail for them, and up above Stella and Bloom were saying goodbye to the rest of the Winx Club. 

Sky kicked a rotting piece of wood that was on the ledge in front of him. "I dunno. I know we've got to find a way to stop the witches, but we're putting Bloom in terrible danger. She has no powers and we don't even know what will be waiting for us when we get to Cloud Tower."

"Yeah, this whole thing stinks, but we've got no other choice," Brandon said. "Timmy's not to happy about it."

"Yeah, I noticed that."

"I think he's just ticked because he wasn't allowed to come."

"Well, I'm sure that there are three other fairies up there that knows exactly how he feels," Sky noted, look up to the opening of the well. "You'd better get up there and see if you can get Bloom and Stella to hurry up. We might as well get this over with."

"Right," Brandon nodded, moving over to the rope ladder they had used to get down here. "But let's look on the bright side; at least we get to spend some time with the girls."

"Yeah. Maybe you can work out where you stand with Stella."

"Maybe," Brandon relied softly before climbing up the rope ladder. He could hear the Winx Club talking, but as he got closer he was able to hear what they were actually saying.

"Tech," he heard Bloom say.

Then he heard Stella. "I can't believe it. You're like actually crying."

"Well it's just that Blooms case for survival is so impossibly low," the digital fairy sniffed as Brandon stuck his head out of the well. He suddenly realized how incredibly random this might look to someone who had only just arrived and didn't know he was down there. (1)

"Never talk about defeat or you'll be defeated," he recited Javelin's lessons. "Basic tactics."

"Okay," Bloom said, gearing her self up to go.

"We'll all be thinking of you, sweetie," Flora told her. "Good luck."

With one final look, the girls climbed into the well and followed Brandon down. Sky was waiting for them on the ledge when they got to the bottom, and Knut was there with him. Sky waved to them. "Hey girls. Welcome to the bottom of the well."

"Charming," Stella muttered sarcastically.

Brandon jumped onto the ledge and tried to keep his feet from sliding out from underneath him. "Be careful girls. It's slippery here."

"Okay, here I go," Bloom said, stepping onto the ledge. The second she put her foot down it slipped out from underneath her and she would have falling into the water below her if Brandon and Sky hadn't grabbed her. "Whoa. Thanks you guys."

"See, we're proving useful already," Brandon grinned. "Need a hand Stella?"

"No. I'm fine," the princess told him before letting go to the ladder. But instead of falling like gravity demands, she used her delicate little fairy wings to flutter down and land gracefully on the ledge. "See? I've got everything under – Whoa!"

In her gloating, Stella had shifted her weight and ended up losing the grip her shoes had on the slim. She too would have fallen into the water if Brandon didn't grab her, pulling her into his chest.

"Again, we prove ourselves – " Brandon started, but he never got to finish since Stella colliding into him made him lose his footing, sending them both crashing to the ground. They didn't land in any water, but Brandon had a pretty painful collision with the stones and Stella ended up on top of him.

"Well this is a good start," Sky said as Bloom tried to hide her giggling. Carefully, the princess and the squire got to their feet and wisely chose to keep their mouth shut this time.

"We should really get moving if we want to make it to Cloud Tower before it's too late," Knut told them as soon as everyone had found their feet. "Come on."

"Which way do we go, Knut?" Sky asked, his voice bouncing off the stones that surrounded them.

Kunt didn't seem to certain when he answered, "Um . . . er . . . dat way."

Bloom, however, had complete confidence in him. "Okay, come on."

Knut led them into the tunnel and the slimy ground instantly turned to damp dirt. It was a bit musky smelling but at least they could walk without the risk of slipping over and cracking their heads on stone ground. The tunnel was lit by a torch Knut carried, but it was still too dark for them to see more than a few feet in front of them. Both Brandon and Sky extended their phantom swords as a precaution, and Knut didn't lessen their doubts when he suddenly came to a stop.

"Knut, are you totally sure this is the right tunnel to take?" Sky asked.

Knut looked slightly baffled at the question. "Gosh, I'm never totally sure about anything."

"Oh that's reassuring," Brandon muttered and Stella nodded in agreement. After exchanging a look with one another, the four teenagers entered the tunnels and followed the ogre into the dark unaware that the witches were already sending their forces to attack Alfea.

* * *

Riven sat quietly on the dungeon floor, his back pressed up against the cold, stone wall staring aimlessly at the ground in front of him as the Army of Decay wailed to itself somewhere outside. He had done little else ever since Darcy's visit and he no longer knew how many days had passed since then. There was no food in his dungeon and he had very little water to drink, and his already exhausted body was feeling extremely drained, but he didn't care. He had gone hungry before. He knew how to block out the hunger pains. He just didn't know how to block out his emotions. 

Every since Darcy's visit, his emotions that had been oddly doormat of the majority of the year and burst open like a dam and left him completely over whelmed. All the hate, self-loathing and disgust he had towards himself was enough to make him physically ill on more than one occasion and he didn't think he could ever forgive himself for what he had done.

And then, on top of all that, he had no cigarettes on him and he was going through serious withdraws as his body demanded that he satisfy his nicotine craving.

It was while he was reflecting in his cell, Riven suddenly realized how badly he had treated his body over the last few months. This was probably the first time in ages that he didn't have alcohol or some other kind of drug in his system. His body, although still toned, had lost a large amount of weight after all the meals he had skipped and his leg was still throbbing from the wound he hadn't let heal properly after he was impaled by that shade of glass.

And now he was stuck in this cell until he died of starvation or dehydration while his ex-girlfriend went about trying to take over the universe.

Darcy.

She had been the one that had led him down this path. Although he was willing to accept that everything he had done over the last year he was accountable for, he knew that he would have never reached this level on his own. Darcy had encouraged him to indulge in act of a less than savoury nature and now, ironically, Riven knew that she was the only one out of the Trix he could convince to stop this attack on the universe.

All he need was a chance to talk with her.

"You follow Icy around like a wonna-be," he said aloud, trying to come up with a way to sway Darcy. "Nah, that won't work."

"Riven?" a sharp voice suddenly called from the other side of the door, and Riven silently cursed himself for being so loud. "Who are you talking to over there?"

Get to his feet, Riven moved over to the door so he could address the headmistress of Cloud Tower more clearly. He had discovered the witches presence in the cell across from him some time ago, but he had ignored any attempt they had made to speak with him up until this point, choosing rather to wallow in his own misery and self-loathing. Dominique had promised him some wonderful forms of torture for ignoring her as soon as she got out of her cell, and part of Riven silently hoped she followed through with them. "Er, no one. I'm just practicing, you know, in case I ever get to talk to Darcy again."

Miss Griffin politely overlooked the fact that the boy had ignored her up until this point. She knew he had been through a lot and was probably beating himself up for not stopping this sooner. She could relate to that. "Believe me, I understand. I have plenty to say to her myself. I should have known when I read their admission essays 'to rule everyone' wasn't a figure of speech."

"I should have known as well. I can't believe I thought that whole bad girl thing was cute," Riven growled, mentally kicking himself. He needed to get out of this cell and try to stop her and her sisters before they destroyed everything. With a train eyes, he regard the lock on his door. It was rather old looking – he had never come across one that looked like it during his profession as a thief – and it showed signs that it was starting to rust. Rust always made thing more tricky. Riven knew it was not going to be easy to pick this lock. Then a thought came to him. "Miss Griffin, do you know any lock picking spells?"

"Of course," the master witch replied with an almost insult air.

"I've pick locks in escape class," Riven said. That was half true, and teacher always seemed to ask question whenever he revealed the he had learnt how to pick locks years before he went to Red Fountain. Noticing a piece of twisted metal on the ground, Riven bent over to pick it up. "But this one's pretty tough."

"I'll help you," Miss Griffin said as he straightened out the bit of metal.

"It'll be so awesome if we can pull this off," Riven said before mentally slapping himself. That sounded like something Sky would say. "Go Miss Griffin."

"_Houdinus escapus!"_

Riven had no idea if her spell had done anything since the piece of metal looked exactly the same, but this wasn't the time nor the place to get picky. "Alright. I'm gonna try it now." Riven knew he was good at picking locks, but he wasn't good enough to pick this strange look so quickly and with one piece of metal. It felt like he only just scrapped the metal across the inner mechanisms of few times and the next thing he knew they clicked and he was able to open the door and move out into the corridor. "Yeah. Don't worry Miss Griffin. I'll get you out of here in just a second."

Riven couched down and was just about to get to work when Miss Griffin stopped him. "Don't waste your time."

"Huh?"

"It's going to take a lot more than a simple _Houdinus_ spell for me to break the ancient lock that Icy put on here. It's an Arcanum lock that belonged to her family. It's resistant to all spells. Our only hope is my own family's secret dark magic brew but it's quite possible that won't work either," Miss Griffin explained to him. Riven was about to argue with her when there came a deep growling sound from further down the corridor and it was accompanied by a faint scuttling sound.

Riven stared into the darkness. "What was that noise?"

"The vile sentries! Run!"

"But . . ." Riven trailed off. He wasn't about to leave her and rest of the Cloud Tower witches after she had helped bust him out.

"Go!

"And leave you?"

"Get out of here now, Riven! If they touch you they'll turn you to rot!"

As much as he hated it, Riven turned and bolted into the darkness away from the sentries. The note of panic in Miss Griffins voice had rattled him more than he cared to admit, and he couldn't ignore the fact that he would be of no use to anyone if he was reduced to rot. Left with no other option, he just ran.

* * *

Riven's exhausted body trembled as he bolted through the empty school. His heart was pounding in his ears and the wound on his right leg was burning but he didn't dare slow his pace. He needed to find a way out from these monsters and fast, other wise he knew he was going to be a goner. He had never really been afraid of dying, he just didn't want to and death by bug was just far to embarrassing for him to allow. 

Knowing that the sentries were right behind him, Riven bolted up the stair case up to a higher level, his leg aching with every step. Blocking out the pain, Riven tried to think back to recall what he had learnt at Red Fountain.

"Alright. I have to remember Strategy and Battle class. Chapter Nine. When being pursued behind enemy lines; One, don't panic. Two, constantly look for ways to escape. Three, take the first course of action that comes into your head. Do not hesitate," Riven said to himself as he came to the top of the stairs and moved out into another hallway.

The hallway was thin and narrow and lead off to no other rooms. Riven silently cursed whoever designed this place as his eyes suddenly fell on a window at the end of the hallway. But other than that, there was no where else to go. The sounds of the sentries that where following him grew louder and Riven felt his pulse increase.

"Don't panic," Riven told himself as he noticed another rot monster approaching him from behind, but he had to keep his cool. "Alright. Look for a way to escape. Like the window! And then take the first course of action that comes into your head."

Riven ran over to the window and peered over its edge . . .

. . . and then resisted the urge not to be sick.

Riven had grown up on the streets of a rather large city and had spent he childhood scurrying over roof tops and subsequently jumping off them. As a result of such an upbringing, he had no fear of heights and would often attempt to climb or jump off of things that most of the guys in his class tried to avoid. However, the drop that awaited him on the other side of the window was big. Really, really big. You would not believe how big it was. It wasn't just a few feet high so that someone could jump off it and suffer nothing more than some pins and needles in their feet and maybe some wobbly knee. No. Instead, you would be dead. Seriously, it was unconceivable to even think that someone – no matter what realm they belonged to – could survive that fall without wings. Even if one was to somehow cheat death, they would and the very least wind up with a couple broken bones, possibly even every single one in their body. It was just _ridiculously_ big.

"Think of something," Riven hissed to himself, looking back over his shoulder at approaching rot monsters. On one hand; certain death via being turned to rot. On the other hand; certain death via going _splat! _Riven had had better options in his life. "Think. Think. Think. Come on. I can't hesitate."

The rot monsters were closing in on him, leaving him no other choice.

"Alright! Course of action; jump!!"

Cold wind hit him as Riven threw himself out of the window and began plummeting towards the ground. It was only after he had jumped that he notice just how many of Cloud Tower's buildings came to horrible, nasty looking spikes. There was an option he hadn't seen. Instead of going _splat _he could get skewered if his positioned it right. Lovely.

The ground was approaching him at an incredibly fast pace. Riven had heard something somewhere saying that if you dropped a cat from the fifth floor of a building would die but if you dropped it from the seventh floor it would survive or something like that. Maybe it was the seventh and ninth floor? He couldn't remember the numbers exactly, but the point was the cat would survive from the higher floor because it would give it enough time to realize it was falling from a great height and therefore go all floppy and survive the landing. The cat dropped from the fifth or seventh floor – whatever it was – would die because it didn't have enough time to think about the predicament it had somehow found itself in. (2)

Maybe people could survive jumping out of great heights if they too discovered the art of going all floppy? It was a long shot but Riven really wasn't in a situation where he could dismiss such seemingly insane thinking.

Maybe it was because, like that cat dropped from the higher levels, Riven had made his body go extremely limp or maybe his luck had finally turned good for once, Riven amazingly – some might even say _ridiculously _– survived the fall.

Using his cape for aerodynamic gliding, Riven landed hardly on possible the only smooth roof in the entire Cloud Tower campus. After sliding for several meters, Riven landed on the ground and somehow managed to keep his feet, but his legs were shaking so badly that he soon collapsed. Lying on his stomach, Riven's entire body was shuttering as he gasped for air and tried to collect himself. The adrenaline from the fall slowly wore off and his exhausted body was left trembling and feeling extremely weak. He needed to find himself some water and get himself to safety. Slowly, he started to push himself up onto his hands and knees.

Blinding pain suddenly flooded Riven's mind as all the muscles in his upper right leg suddenly tensed and started to cramp. Rolling onto his back, Riven sat up slightly at desperately start massaging the muscles in a frantic attempted to relax them. Hissing through his teeth from the pain, Riven cursed himself for being so stupid for not letting the wound heal properly. Slowly, the pain faded and the muscles relaxed. His heart pounding in the aftermath of the shock, Riven collapsed back on the ground, staring up at the dark cloud above him.

'Note to self,' he thought. 'Next time I hurt myself I'm going to let it heal.'

But no matter how bad his leg hurt, Riven knew that he could stay lying there for long.

"If I don't get out of here, I'm gonna die," he said to himself, and then he forced himself to stand. It still hurt to put pressure on his right leg, so he limped slowly until the pain died down enough so he could travel at a slight hobble. Gradually, he made his way over a rise and when he reached the top a foul smell he had detected for some time hit him full force. "Fantastic, I get away from the rot monsters to end up in a garbage dump. That's just fabulous."

Riven was just about to head off in another direction to try and find a way back to Red Fountain when he noticed something he couldn't ignore: water.

Sliding down the bank carefully, Riven made his way over to a small, stagnate puddle with muddy brown water in it. Gods knows what micro-organisms existed inside it but Riven couldn't deny that he was about to collapse from dehydration. Hesitantly, he cupped a handful of water but couldn't bring himself to raise it to his mouth. Instead he just watched it seep back through his fingers.

"You've gone soft," he said to himself. When he was a child he had no problems drinking gutter water, but then again he never knew any better. He had grown up thinking it was normal for kids to cry themselves to sleep in ally ways because of the hunger pains that dug into their bodies like claws. He thought it was normal to have to raid dumpsters for a feed and have to always stay one step ahead of the criminal war lords that ruled the streets. That was one of the reasons he hated Sky from time to time. The guys just seemed to have everything come to him so easily.

Steeling himself, Riven refilled his palm and this time raised it to his lips. He shuttered as the foul liquid rushed over his tongue, but if nothing else it dampened his parched mouth. He didn't even try for another mouthful. He knew that he could probably find something that eatable in this dump, but he wasn't willing to even try to look. He had gotten away from that lifestyle and there was no way he was going to let himself slip back there.

Exhausted and irritated, Riven sank to the ground, being careful to keep his injured leg straight. It wasn't hurting him anymore, but he didn't want to accidentally over stretch the muscles and cause them to cramp again. The Cloud Tower garbage dump was surprising big and absolutely bursting with rotting rubbish. At Red Fountain, all their rubbish was taken to Magix where it was destroyed at the city dump and Riven knew that at Alfea they did the same as well as using their make to recycle and naturally decompose as much of it as possible. And yet Cloud Tower, who had exactly the same amount of magic as the Alfea fairies had chosen to let their trash fester away in the hot sun not far from their school.

But then again, Riven never accused the witches of being logical.

'I don't see why Miss Griffin doesn't just erase all this trash,' Riven thought to himself. 'She's got enough power. She could do it easily. And even if she didn't want to waste her magic she could always send it to the city dump like Saladin does. Why does she want to hang onto this stuff?'

His answer came as a large, hulking beetle roach scuttled across one large mound of garbage a fair ways off.

"That explains it," Riven laughed out loud. While most normal people might turn their noses up at beetle roaches, Riven knew they were probably just the kind of things a witch might take to have as a kind of pet. Beetle roaches are normally quiet happy being ignored by their 'owners' who in turn ignore the beetle roaches, except of course when they wanted to get rid of any rubbish since beetle roaches were natural decomposers and ate just about anything. There had been a few cases of people getting eaten by beetle roaches since they seriously do eat just about anything, but it was nothing a witch couldn't handle. They could easily sway the beetle with their dark magic which was more pleasant than killing them since they release a thirty mile wide stench when they're destroyed.

To a witch, a beetle roach was the perfect guard dog that also helped to get rid of all your rubbish.

"Hmm, beetle roaches have poor eyesight which is why they rely on their sense of smell and taste to detect intruders," Riven thought allowed. He'd need to find himself some cover if he was going to make it through the garbage dump, which according to Dominique's crystal was the direction he needed to go if he was going to make it to Red Fountain which he hoped was still standing.

"Hello. What do we have here?" Riven said, pulling out a ragged old cloak. The material was rotting, one of the sleeves was damp, Riven was sure that there was mould growing along the bottom of it and man, it stunk. And it was perfect if he wanted to remain undetected by the beetle roaches. "Well, beggars can't be choosers."

* * *

It was the smell of damp dirt that Sky found to be the most frustrating. He had been able to block out the strong sense of claustrophobia the tunnel gave him as the darkness pressed against him and he was able to hold his panic at the thought of the roof suddenly collapsing and being buried alive at bay, but there was no way to avoid that smell. Every time he breathed a new wave of it would flood his senses and he was starting to get sick of it. It was getting so bad that at times that he was sure he could taste it. Trying to distract his thoughts, Sky stared at into the dark in front of them and focused on the task at hand which was getting the girls safely to Cloud Tower. 

Brandon, however, couldn't focus on the mission. He couldn't even focus on the smell the lingered throughout the tunnels or the darkness that surrounded them. There was only on thing he could think of and she seemed to be ignoring him.

Both Stella and Bloom had become very quiet once they had entered the tunnels and everyone knew why. Bloom had a massive task in front of her that no one knew if she'd be able to complete, and as he best friend Stella seemed to have willingly taken on her burden as well. There pair were going to stop at nothing to reach their goals, and on top of all that, Stella was going to have to look after a magicless Bloom. It was a tough road ahead of them, and the girls were probably thinking of was to look at it in an angle so it didn't appear as daunting.

While Brandon's thoughts might not have been as important as their on a universal level, they were _very_ important to him. On Sprax it appeared that Stella had forgiven him, Brandon couldn't help but question how real that was. He had heard of 'heroes syndrome', were a hero would fall for the girl he rescued. Maybe there was such thing as 'damsel syndrome' when the girl fell for the guy who saved her. It was only logical. She also didn't seem to will to forgive Sky even though he and Brandon were equally guilty.

'Maybe she thinks that the blame lies with Sky since his I'm his squire and I have to do as he tells me,' part of him thought.

'As if she would think that,' another part of him countered. 'She knows Sky and how he would never act like that. If he did there was no way he'd be able to pull of playing the squire for the last two years.'

'Well then maybe she really doesn't care about you and therefore didn't get her feelings hurt. But _Prince Sky_ on the other hand . . .'

'She's not like that?'

'You can never really be sure, now can you?'

'Yes I can,' Brandon thought fiercely, silencing both parts of him. Gripping his broadsword nervously, Brandon swallow hard and tried to stop his voice from shaking when he ask, "So Stella, if we survive do you wonna catch a movie some time?"

Brandon felt his hands start to sweat as he waited, his heart pounding. He was well aware that Bloom and Sky were both listening in, but he doubted they were anywhere near as anxious as he was. And unfortunately, Stella's reply wasn't what he had been hoping for. "Sure you're not a prince?"

Glumly, Brandon lowered his head as the horrible feeling of rejected flooded through his body. He had always felt insecure with Stella and it sucked right royally to know that he had been right to be. "Yeah, definitely. I'm just an average squire."

"Honestly, I've never once dated a non prince before," Stella said and another wave of hurt rushed over the squire.

"I guess that means you don't want to go out with me," Brandon assumed as he continued to sink deeper into despair. He wished that the ground would open up and a huge hole would just swallow him up only to realize that he was in a huge hole so scratch that. He just wanted to be anywhere but near Stella so that he could suffer in solitude.

"I didn't say that," Stella interrupted his dark thoughts and a small bit of hope fluttered inside Brandon's chest. "It simply means that we have to take it one step at a time. Like we could start with a movie."

As miserable as Brandon had been several seconds ago, his emotions suddenly flipped it their exact opposite and times themselves by like a million. _She still liked him!_ The girl that he had in infatuated with since the first day he had met her really liked him. She didn't care that he was a squire and not a prince like he had told her he was. She still wanted to go on a date with him no matter what his ranking was. Too delighted for words, he could only beam back at her and nod in agreement to her conditions. Hell, she could have asked him to shave his head and he would have gone along with it. Anything to be with her.

Sky could hide a grinned at the foolish smile at was spread across his best friends face that he hadn't seem for quiet a while. But the prince's smile vanished when their guide came to a sudden stop. His first reaction saw to tighten his grip on his sword and scan the shadows for any sign of danger. When he saw nothing, his alarm quickly turned to irritation and he glared hardly at the ogre.

Bloom also seemed slightly annoyed by the hold up, though she tried to hide it a bit more than Sky did. "Alright, what is it? Why are you stopping?"

"I'm worried about what you'll do," Knut told her, and none of the teenagers could follow his line of thought. "You know, if we get caught in here."

Sky had to admit to himself, no matter how frustrating and dumb the ogre was at times, he had his heart in the right place. He had joined their fight originally to protect his mother and the rest of his species and now he was concerned about Bloom's well being. The yellow brut had been bullied into doing the Trix's dirty work and now he was trying to make it up to everyone. Maybe he wasn't as bad as Sky originally thought he was. Anyone who wanted to protect Bloom was okay in his books.

"Don't sweat it," Stella assured everyone, especially Bloom. "No matter what happens I'll be right next to you to protect you."

Bloom smiled sweetly. "That's very cool of you but I've got to be ready to fight on my own. Sooner or later I'll have to confront the witches and I'll have to defend myself."

"We know Bloom, but that's not going to stop us from looking out for you," Sky told the red head. "We're your friends and that's something you're just going to have to put up with."

"Thanks Sky," Bloom smiled bashfully. Knut started walking again and was followed by Stella and Brandon, who were both sneaking intense looks at each other. Sky was just about to follow after them when he felt Bloom coyly slip her hand into his free one. "I'm glad you're here," she whispered. "I know it's dangerous."

"I'd follow you anywhere, Bloom," Sky said, squeezing her hand. "No matter how dangerous. You've . . . You've no idea how much you've changed my life and I'm not going to let you get away from me without a fight."

"I think I'm cool with that, baby," Bloom blushed, but Sky couldn't see it in the dark. Slowly, Sky lean closer to her, edging his lips closer to hers. He could feel her warm breath brush across his face and her intoxicating scent was –

"Bloom! Sky! Keep up!" Stella shouted from the further up in the tunnel.

"Coming!" Bloom assured her, slipping her hand out of Sky's and running towards her friends.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Sky mumbled, rooted to spot. He was tempted to kill Stella, but he knew Brandon would never forgive him if he did. Grumbling inaudible words of disappointment, Sky started after his friends and their guide. They continued on in silence through the dark until they came to a junction of three tunnels.

Knut seemed to be expecting this. "It's the three tunnel crossroads."

"So which one do we take?" Stella asked. Just at that seconds, a carven bird flew out of one of the tunnels. In the torchlight, it looked all the more ghastly. "_Eww!_ We're definitely not taking that one. Like hello, do you have any idea where we're supposed to go?"

"Um, I don't know," Knut confessed and Brandon and Sky had an overwhelming desire to hit something. Only their teachings at Red Fountain managed then to keep their emotions in check. Stella, however, had no such restraint.

"What?" she exclaimed, her voice echoing down the tunnels. "We're following you, like entrusting our lives with you and you don't know?"

Knut hung his head slightly in shame, but Bloom managed to keep a clear head. "I heard ogres have a really great sense of smell. Maybe that could help find the way?"

Instantly brightening, Knut breathed deep, taking in the scent that drifted out of each tunnel, trying to find something that would lead them to Cloud Tower. "I left a bag of donuts in Cloud Tower. I could lead you right to them," he assured them before pointing to the middle tunnel. "This way."

The ogre started down the middle tunnel and the teenagers followed him but Stella remained skeptical. "Are you sure?"

"I smell them. Two chocolate, one glazed. _Mmm_."

"Well, may it go down in history that the day was saved thanks to the humble donut," Brandon muttered under his breath to Sky, who tried to smother his laughter. "Actually, all this talk about donuts is making me hungry. I dunno about you, but I could really go for one of Jacob's glazed donuts right about now."

Sky couldn't contain himself and burst out laughing. The whole realm was going to hell and Brandon was thinking about food?

"Something you want to share with us, Sky?" Stella demanded sharply.

"N-No," Sky stammered, trying to get himself under control.

"Well then be quiet. Some bodyguard you are, giggling away like that. Imagine if we came across a monster while we were down here? How embarrassing for Bloom to be protected by a hero giggling like a school girl."

"I was not giggling," Sky retorted.

"Whatever, but you may have alerted the witches while you were braying like a donkey and then they'll send their rot army down here to finish us off. Did you ever think of that?"

"We'll be fine, Stella," Brandon assured her, trying to cut off the little squabble.

"Uh-huh," Knut agreed. "It should be clear sailing from 'ere."

The words had barely left his foul smelling mouth when a draft suddenly put out his torch. Without the protection of the light, a pair of huge, globular monsters that had been watching them for a while but dared not venture in the light suddenly had no reason to hide came rushing in. Knut was the first to spot them, and without warning turned and bolted the way the group had just come. The two girls took one look at the monsters and spirited after him, screaming the whole while with the boys right behind.

"What are they?" Brandon shouted as he ran.

"I think disgusting is a pretty good definition!" Stella yelled back. The monsters had merged together to form one monster with two mouths and despite the facts that it didn't have any legs it moved pretty fast.

"Alright! You asked for it!" Sky challenged, stopping and raising his phantom blade. With a mighty swing he cut into the monster, but his blue sword went straight through like a knife through jelly. He watched for a horrified second and the monster resealed the gash he had caused before turning and bolting after his friends. "Okay! Swords don't work!"

"Then lets try magic!" Stella suggested turning and summoning a ball of solar energy in her hands. At the sudden appearance of light, the blob monster hesitated its advance. "Sun blast!"

Wailing, the monster tried to turn and run, but its fate was invertible. The blast hit it and sunk into its jelly like body and from there it simply ripped it to shreds. The group slowed to a stop, gasping for air.

"Wow, I guess they don't like light, huh?" Bloom noted.

"There's no need to thank me," Stella told them, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "_Somebody_ had to save the day."

"You did good back there, babe," Brandon congratulated, choosing not to point out the fact that there was only so much they could do without magic.

"Since those monsters seemed to keep their distance when we have light, I think it would be a good idea to keep that torch burning," Bloom suggested, taking the extinguished torch off Knut and holding it out to Stella. Using her magic, the Princess of the Sun and the Moon relit the torch and Bloom held it aloft to ward off any other monsters that might be lurking in the shadows. "Alright Knut. Lead the way."

The ogre lead them back through the dark tunnels. No one said anything while they walked since they were listening intently for any signs of monster stalking them but they didn't hear anything. Perhaps they were spending too much attention on listening and not enough on where they were going since they soon found themselves at a dead end.

"The tunnels completely collapsed," Brandon reported as he looked into the only path they could take besides backwards. "We'll have to see if we can find another way."

"Hey! There's a ladder here," Bloom pointed out, walking over to that ladder that had previously been hidden by the shadows. Looking up, the group saw that there was a closed hatch at the top of it. "Knut, do you think you can open that?"

"Er, I don't see why not," the ogre shrugged, moving over to start climbing.

"Hang on a minute," Sky said. "We should think about this first. We can't just go an open that thing when we don't know what's on the other side of it. For all we know there could be another batch of blob monsters just waiting for us."

"Well then I'll just take care of them like I did the last one," Stella told him smugly. "Open it up, Knut. I want out of here."

Knut obeyed without hesitation, twisting the hatch open and out flooded a deluge of water.

"Run!" Bloom shouted, dropping the torch. The four teenagers all managed to outrun the wave of water but Knut was washed up in the thick of it and was carried back down the tunnel they had just come down.

"Okay, maybe it would have been a good idea to find out what was on the other side of that thing before we open it," Stella gasped from her place on higher ground. The water had come to a stop below her with Knut struggling to get out of the newly formed pond.

"Hang on Knut. We'll get you out of there," Sky said, getting down on his hands and knees to help pull the ogre up onto dry land.

"Well, dat was unexpected," Knut spluttered, crawling out of the water with help from Sky and Bloom.

"Well, look on the bright side; least you had your bath for the day," Brandon shrugged.

"And hopefully that's the only one," Bloom sighed.

"I dunno, every little bit counts," Stella said, scrunching her nose.

"Which way do we go now?" Sky asked, praying that there would be no disasters on their next path. Unfortunately his prays weren't answered and for the second time that year, Brandon, Sky and Stella found themselves imprisoned by the vines of angry plants.

"I am so sick of plants that want to eat me," Stella said, sitting down on a large boulder that was to one side of the tunnel.

"Tell me about it," Brandon agreed, taking a seat on another boulder. Sky stood along side him while they waited for Knut to rejoin them since he was finishing off the rest of the vines.

"We'll never get to Cloud Tower at this rate," Bloom sighed, sinking to the ground. She had tried to remain so optimistic throughout everything, but these delays were causing her to lose hope.

"Don't talk like that Bloom. We'll find away," Sky told her, but she didn't seem too hopeful.

"And fingers crossed we don't run into anything else," Stella mumbled.

"I doubt it," Brandon instantly dismissed. "Bad things only come in threes."

"You're basing everything on a saying?"

"Better than nothing."

Stella _hmm_ed as Knut rejoined them and took a seat on one of the boulders when she suddenly heard a deep growling sound. "What's that?"

"Yeah, I hear it too," Bloom told her and the group fell silent, trying to pin point the location of the sound. Suddenly the 'boulders' they were sitting on started to moved as they dug themselves out of the ground to show that they weren't really rock at all but rather over sized bugs. Not even bothering to try and fight their new foe the group wordlessly decided to leg it.

"Bad things always come in threes, huh?" Stella panted to Brandon as they bolted along.

"Clearly giant bugs don't live by the same rules as us," he gasped as the distance between them and the bugs widened. Breathless, the group came to a stop and tried to collect themselves, but their moods were either pessimistically down or infuriated.

Stella was clearly one of the infuriated ones. "Hey! You are so not trying hard enough Knut!"

"I can do it!" Knut assured her, placing his massive hand on the wall. "Let me try one more time," he begged. Stella's eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything. The ogre started sniffing out a trail for them, but his followers were fast losing faith in their guide. "Don't you worry, I'll find a way out."

Before anyone could argue that point, the wall he was leaning against crumbled and he fell through to the other side. When the others looked through the hole he had created, they found that the ogre had vanished.

"Oh well, that's one problem taken care of," Stella said, peering through the hole. "Hey, these look like those giant slides we found last time we snuck into Cloud Tower."

"They have giant slides here? Wow!" Brandon exclaimed with childlike delight. "Sky! Do you think we can convince Saladin to install giant slides at Red Fountain when they rebuild it? Huh? Do ya?"

"Why did I think you could ever pass for me?" Sky asked. "And besides, they haven't confirmed that they'll rebuild the school yet."

"Oh they will and when they do I'm going to suggest that they include giant slides. It'll be great. Just think about, no more busy hallways between classes! Everyone will slide everywhere!"

"Um, children," Stella interrupted as she and Bloom stepped through the hole. "We're going to go after the ogre. You can come with us if you want, or you can stay here and talk about the plans for your new school. Perhaps you can have a classroom that's exactly like a jumping castle?"

Brandon's face brighten at the idea, but the look Sky gave him silenced the brunette and he wordlessly followed his friends through the hole in the wall and down the slide. Much to his disappointment, there was no sliding. Instead, they walked the entire way down.

"Do you smell something?" Stella asked and her question was answered for her when the slide lead them above ground into the less desirable place imaginable.

"Nice, we end up in the garbage dump," Bloom noted in a disappointed tone. Her mission was not going how she planned.

"At least we're almost there," Brandon tried to brighten her up but it didn't work very well.

"There's probably a service entrance somewhere," Sky pointed out as he walked off the slide. Knut was still sitting in the muddy ground of the dump and wasn't making much of an effort to get up again.

"This better not rub off on my clothes," Stella said, holding her nose so it altered her voice. Reluctantly, she lowered her hand and dared to breathe the foul smelling air. "With the current situation it will be impossible to find a drycleaner that's open."

"Don't you have twelve of the same outfit?" Bloom asked and Stella simply _hmmm_ed in response. With a soft smile, the red head moved over with Stella to try and help Knut to his feet. "Come on. What is that smell?"

"Yeah, it just got way stinker in here," Stella agreed as her and the others helped the ogre up. All agreed that the air had suddenly gone from feral to mega feral. The mud surrounding them started to bubble and a whole horde of massive forms started to emerge from the sludge. A new wave of stench wafted into the air and as the mud slipped off the hard shells of the massive shapes, the group was able to see what they were.

"_Beetle roaches!"_ Knut gasped and the group instantly stepped back, but their escape was blocked by more of the giant bugs. They were completely surrounded.

"I think I might puke," Stella said.

"They'd like that," Knut informed her. "Make sure you don't touch they're saliva."

"Eww! Touch it? As if!"

"Be ready to pinch your nose. I think these release a thirty mile wide stench when destroyed," Brandon warned as he and Sky extended their extended phantom blades. Instead of his broadsword Brandon decided to use his double beam saber since it could also act as a spear.

"Wait!" Bloom suddenly exclaimed. "If we destroy them the witches will smell them and know we're here."

"Yeah that's true," Sky agreed. "But it means we're going to have to come up with a way to make them leave us alone without having to burst them open."

"Right. Let's stand here and negotiate with these giant bugs," Stella said cynically. "If you leave, I'll give you all of my trash for a month."

The beetle roaches didn't accept her offer. Instead, on moved in and grabbed Knut around ankle.

"Oh no!" Bloom gasped. Wasting no time, she jumped in and clobbered the beetle with a stick. The giant bug instantly recoiled and released the ogre who scrambled out of reach of the monsters.

"Wow, Bloom. That's amazing for earth power," Knut noted.

"Thanks," Bloom beamed, but that look suddenly faded as she watched one of the beetle roaches moving in on an inspecting Sky. "Watch out!"

Sky was so focused on trying to keep the beetle roaches closest to him and Bloom at bay that he didn't notice the biggest bug of the group until it was too late. This beetle roach dwarfed the others and unlike the others who were a muddy green colour, this one was made up of several different shades of pink, purple and magenta. Surrounding its head was an extension of its hard exoskeleton that made it look as though it was wearing a crown of sorts and given its colouring it appeared oddly feminine. With one of its pincer like legs, it reached out over the horde of other roaches and grabbed Sky around the middle. With absolutely no effort, the beetle roach plucked the prince of the ground and tightened its vice like grip on him.

'_Oh gods!' _Sky mentally screamed as all the air left his lungs and he accidentally loosened his hold on his sword. The pincers around his middle continued to tighten as Sky clawed at them to try and pry it open, but it was no use. His vision rapidly started to deteriorate and his consciousness started slipping. He was only vaguely aware that the beetle roach started lifting him higher towards its open mouth.

* * *

Dressed in his new, decomposing attire, Riven sat in the reeking mud aimlessly turning an old rob he had found over and over again in his hands with his back resting up an old desk that was lying on its side. The desk was covered in pen graffiti from countless witches that had become bored in class and there was evidence that some of them had attacked it with their scissors and metal rules among other things. 

He knew he needed to get going if he wanted to get to safety, but he really couldn't be bothered to move. He was exhausted from lack of sleep and food and he was still slightly dehydrated, but the thing that was absolutely zapping his strength and sending him out of him mind was his unsatisfied nicotine addiction. At the moment he was more than will to give up his right hand and never be able to wield a sword again if it meant he could have one smoke. His injured leg was still bothering him, but his withdrawals blocked the pain out.

Riven sighed and turned his eyes skywards. "This thing is gonna kill me."

He was still trying to work up the energy to get to his feet and head in the direction of Magix when a bolt of electricity suddenly ripped through him painfully. Crying out in both pain and alarm, Riven dropped the rod that he had been twirling in his hands and tried to stop him body trembling in the after shock. The muddy ground he was stilling in had acted as a perfect conductor and as a result his entire body ached, including his finger nails. His heart beating erratically from the sudden blast of energy, Riven glared down at the rod his had dropped, which was now giving off small sparks of electricity.

"Oh you bitch," Riven hissed at it, followed by several other colourful phrases but the rod wasn't offended. It just continued to keep sparking itself. "What kind of school allows their students to create such a thing and then lets them discard it like that? My gods!"

Getting to his feet, Riven wanted nothing more than to leave that accursed rob to slowly die in the mud, but he couldn't ignore the fact that he was without a weapon after the Trix had somehow stripped him of his own when they imprisoned him. And he knew from experience that that little piece of fail science could pack quit a wallop. Reluctantly, Riven picked up the rod and with new found energy – whither from the electric shock or his desire to get out of this place, he could be sure – Riven started on his way. The robe occasionally gave him tiny little shocks that traveled all the way up his arm, but like his leg, he ignored it.

That was when the sound of fighting suddenly reached his ears. Dropping into a defensive pose and moved cautiously towards the source of the noise to see if it was worth getting involved in or whither he should avoid the whole thing entirely. But when the fight suddenly came into view, he completely froze.

"Oh you have _got_ to be kidding me."

* * *

"Get off!" Bloom shouted, charging towards the giant, purple beetle roach. The bug, sense her approach, dropped the now limp prince to the ground so as to have all her legs free. "He's gonna eat him!" 

Brandon watch in horror as the beetle roach causally kicked the Princess of Sparx aside before returning to the boy in front of her. Taking aim, Brandon got ready to hurl his spear at it, regardless of how much it was going to stink. His prince – or more importantly, his best friend – was in danger.

"I wouldn't throw a spear at that thing," Knut warned, stopping the squire in his tracks and Brandon suddenly realized why.

"Yeah. That would be bad. It has ricochet armour," Brandon noted, but it didn't help his dilemma in any way. How the hell was he supposed to beat that thing? It was far too big to take on alone and he had no real back up. Bloom had no powers and Stella was focusing her magic on a shield to keep the rest of the beetle roaches swarming them. There was always Knut but he had no real training in battles. The only way he knew how to fight was crude, unrefined wrestling moves which would have no effect on an armoured exoskeleton. Gritting his teeth, Brandon thought, 'Man, I wish one of the other guys were here.'

Directly on that que, someone dressed in a ragged, mud splattered robe jumped out of nowhere and directly on the back of the giant beetle roach. The bug instantly lost all interest in Sky who had just regain consciousness and focused all her efforts into getting this unknown attacker off of her.

"Who's that?" Sky asked, but no one had an answer for him. The beetle roach started to try and buck her rider off, but the stranger managed to hang on like cowboy at a rodeo.

Brandon took in the bizarre scene before him before spreading his arms out and lifting his face skywards. 'I wish money was falling from the sky!'

This time, the gods did not answer his plea.

As the beetle roach continued to buck underneath him, the stranger who was in fact Riven (as if anyone couldn't tell) pulled out the rod that had taken great delight in shocking him every thirty seconds. 'Please work on bugs,' he pleaded within his mind before slamming it down on the beetle roaches head. "Get lost!"

The shock that the rod gave off was a lot stronger than any of the other shocks had been and it turned Rivens right arm completely numb while the left simply tingled as if he was having a heart attack. The effect it had on the beetle roach, however, was even more painful. With one massive kick, she managed to buck Riven off on her since he no longer had the ability to hold on and she wasted no time in running away from her would be meals. The rest of the beetle roaches edged away from the group and then followed, fearing the creatures that could cause their queen and mother to retreat from battle.

"How did he make the bugs leave?" Stella wondered aloud once she had dropped her shield. None of her magic had any effect on them and yet one little stick was enough to make then all run for the hills.

"That was the queen roach, so they follow her," Riven answered, getting to his feet slowly. He regarded the rod in his hand with a certain level of distaste. Sure, it work but it was so not worth the pain to use. His was slowly getting feeling back into his right arm, but both his arms still continued to tingle.

"Hey, er . . . thanks . . . whoever you are," Sky said, cautiously making his way over to the 'stranger'.

Riven chuckled slightly and threw away the rod. It seemed to have used up the last of its electricity anyway. Breathing deep, Riven turned to address Sky and started to remove the robe that had managed to keep his identity from his friends. 'Might as well get this over with,' he thought to himself before saying aloud, "Long time no see, buddy."

Sky and Brandon's eyes widened when they saw actually who it was that had saved them. In unison, they both exclaimed, _"Riven?!"_

His face seemed narrower and slightly gaunt looking, but he was smirking with sly amusement at their amazement. His face and posture no longer held any aggression towards them like they had since the Day of the Rose, but it was his eyes that had changed the most. For most of the past year his violet eyes had been blank and hollow with absolutely no emotion in them. But now they burned intently with emotions that Riven had never really known how to express making him resemble the Riven he had been before he got messed up with Darcy and her sisters. For the first time in months, Brandon and Sky felt as though they were looking at the Riven they had know since freshmen year and somehow come to care for as a brother.

"Where have you been all this time?" Sky asked, trying to hide his delight at knowing that his friend was alive and well. Normally there was no need to hide such emotion between friends, but the fact still stood that he didn't know if he and Riven were still friends.

"Oh, you know, here and there," Riven replied in a very off handed kind of way. The last thing he wanted to do was to draw attention to the mess he had made for himself but he knew that the others wanted answers so he decided the best way to go about it was to make it a massive understatement. "I mostly spent my time checking out the Cloud Tower dungeons since the Trix absolutely insisted I go."

"What?"

"You're girlfriend locked you in a dungeon?" Stella exclaimed once she had unraveled what he had really said.

"I wouldn't exactly call her by that term," Riven hissed with undisguised loathing, "but yes."

"Are the rest of the witches being kept there?" Brandon asked, changing the subject for both Riven's sake and for information.

Riven nodded. "Miss Griffins making some family brew of hers to try and break the lock spell Icy put on the cell door but if that doesn't work there's no way to bust them out. What's been happening on your end?"

"Red Fountain has fallen," Sky said, trying to get the worst out of the way first. No one said anything as they let the horrible truth sink into Riven. His eyes had gone very wide and were filled with deep hurt and anger. Overcome with emotion, Riven viscously kicked an old rusted drum that was amongst the trash around them. The drum didn't move but the throbbing pain in Riven's foot made him feel a bit better. Rolling his shoulders to try and release some of the tension that had gathered in his back, Riven composed himself to hear the rest. Sky went on the tell him about the Trix obtaining the Dragon Fire, the rising of the Army of Decay and the destruction of Red Fountain.

"Where'd the Trix get the Dragon Fire," Riven interrupted at one point and Bloom raised her hand shyly.

"Um, they stole it from me," she told him.

"You?" Riven quirked an eyebrow. It made sense giving all the attention the Trix had given to trying to crush her, but how could a girl how only discovered she possessed magic a year ago have one of the strongest powers in the universe?

"Yeah, um . . . apparently I'm the last remaining member of the royal family of Sparx."

Riven's eyes widen again. He knew all about Sprax – hell, who didn't? – but he would have never picked Bloom to be its princess. He shot a questioning look Sky's way, and the blonde nodded to indicate she was telling the truth. Looking back at Bloom again, he regarded her for a second before shrugging. "Alright."

"Alright? _Alright?_" Stella repeated. "That's all you can say to her?"

"Oh my apologies," Riven said mockingly to the sun fairy, but none the less he turned to Bloom and gave her a rather awkward bow. "Your Highness."

"That's better," Stella commented while Bloom blushed slightly. She had never been addressed as 'Your Highness' before so it was still a little weird for her. Clearing her throat nervously, Bloom tried to get them all back on track.

"Come on, we've got to try and find a way into Cloud Tower to search for the Dragon Fire," Bloom reminded them all. "Knut, do you know a way in from here?"

"Er, we could go through the front gate but den the witches will see us," Knut thought aloud, scratching his head. "So I guess its back to the tunnels."

"Oh no, not again," Stella groaned.

"Do you know a way in without being detected?" Brandon asked Riven since he had spent a lot of time here over the last year, but the spiky haired teenager shook his head no.

"Nope, but I know a way we can find one," Riven told them pulling out a burgundy tinted crystal on the end of a silver chain.

"Ohhh! Pretty!" Stella cooed as Riven let it hang from his downward face hand. The crystal hung as gravity demanded for a few seconds, and then it started moving till it was hanging at an unnatural angle from Rivens hand.

"It's that way," Riven told them.

"Are you sure?" Sky had to question. It wasn't that he didn't trust Riven, it's just that he had heard Knut say the exact same thing right before leading them into disaster one too many times.

"Yeah," Riven said, tossing the crystal to Bloom. "Try it out. Just think of a place or a person and it'll point directly to it. I've never know it to be wrong."

"Alfea," Bloom said as she let the crystal hang. Just like when Riven had willed it to find them a way in, the crystal suddenly went against gravity and start point this time in the direction of where they all knew Alfea was. "That's awesome! Magix!"

"Where'd you get it?" Sky asked as the crystal swung around to point to Magix. He had never seen the crystal till now and it sure was a handy thing to have.

"One of the witches gave it to me," Riven explained.

"Darcy?" Stella questioned and Riven's face instantly darkened at her name.

"No, not Darcy. There are other witches at Cloud Tower besides the Trix, you know," Riven growled, shifting his shoulder again.

"You alright man?" Brandon asked, knowing that something wasn't right with the other boy.

"Not really," Riven replied honestly, scratching the back of his neck. He was so tense and everything about him itched for a nicotine fix. "I'm crawling out of my freakin' skin."

"Anything we can do to help?" Sky asked.

"Not unless you got a cigarette on you."

"Oh."

"Kiko!" Bloom willed and the crystal point back to Alfea. "This is great. It makes our job a whole lot easier. Icy!"

The crystal that was been pointing steadily towards the school for fairies suddenly went limp and pointed back to the ground as the natural laws of nature demanded it to do.

"What happened?" Stella asked.

"The witch that lent me it used to use the crystal to track down the Trix so she could run into them. As a result, the Trix jinxed it so you can't find them with it," Riven explained.

"They jinxed it just to stop another girl from running into them?" Brandon repeated. "That's a bit extreme."

"If you knew Dominique you wouldn't think so," Riven told him as he collected the crystal off of Bloom. "Come on. Sooner we do this the sooner we can get out of here."

The crystal pointed them back into the tunnels much to Stella's disgust, but now they seemed to be moving in a much more certain direction. Knut took the lead with the torch with the group of teenagers following. Riven gave them a very brief version of what had happened to him since the Trix had obtained the Dragon Fire, but no one pushed him to give any more details. Everyone seemed to wordlessly get the message that he and Darcy were over and that he really didn't want to take about it. For him the guilt was just too much to bear, but that didn't mean they couldn't talk about other things.

"So, I've got to ask; how did you figure out how to escape from a whole horde of vile sentries?" Sky asked. He knew Riven was a survivor but there was only so much you could do against the army of decay, especially considering that he didn't have any weapons.

"I did the only thing I could do in that situation. I used what we learnt in strategies and battle class. Chapter nine in particular. And to think I came so close to taking that wrestling elective instead," Riven explained much to the surprise of the other two boys. Riven remember something from class? No way!

"But Riven, how did you know you'd be safe?" Bloom questioned.

"I didn't have time to think about that. I just had to take action, so that's what I did. Luckily, I remembered how to use my cape for aerodynamic gliding from survival 101 freshmen year. The ground was pack with beetle roaches. I was fine because I remembered that when behind enemy lines you have to blend in. And then, just when I was about to make my way out, I ran into you guys," Riven told them with a little bit of dramatic storytelling.

"I've known you since the first day of orientation and I've never once seen you taking notes" Sky pointed out. "No offence, but all this time I thought you were like the Red Fountain Slacker, but you're probably the best student at school, dude."

"Say, Riven, do you need a lab partner for next semester?" Brandon questioned, making the others laugh. But Riven's smile died when he realized that they were all in need of one massive apology from him for the way he had been acting over the last few months. He really didn't know why he had turned on his friends like that, but it made him sick to his stomach whenever he looked back on it. He felt absolutely horrible, but he wasn't very good at admitting his was wrong and he was even worse at expressing how he really felt.

However, this wasn't a time for him to be a coward.

"Er, hey, listen you guys," Riven started, rubbing the back of his head nervously. Swallowing hard, he tried to put his feelings into words. "I really hope you can forgive me for everything that happened . . ."

Sky knew that Riven wanted to say more, but he also knew that he was not going to find it easy to say them, especially since Bloom, Stella and Knut where here. And when it came down to it, Sky and Brandon didn't really need to hear him apologize to them. They knew what he was going to say and being a true friend meant that you don't need an apology even when you know one is due. Sky put one arm over shoulders and he felt his friend tense at the contact. "Of course we forgive you Riven. Anyone can fall for the wrong girl."

Any chance that Riven had to reply was cut off by Bloom sticking her head between the two of them and wrapping her arms around their shoulders.

"Yeah, right," she agreed before jerking her head in Sky's direction. "This guy's big on forgiveness these day."

"You coming with us?" Sky asked Riven.

An almost wicked grin spread across Riven's face. A chance to get back at Darcy and her sisters for destroying Red Fountain? "You bet."

"Cool."

"Awesome!" Bloom cheered, running a head a little bit. "We could really use an extra hand to take on those witches."

"If we find the Dragon Fire you're best off trying to take out Icy first," Riven suggested. "She's the mastermind behind everything so if she falls Stormy and Darcy should follow."

"Then it would also be a good idea to try and get Icy on her own, huh?" Bloom pondered.

"Do you think Riven knows that Darcy had him spelled?" Brandon whispered to Sky as Bloom, Riven and Stella continued to discuss tactics.

"I don't think so but he's not going to be happy when he finds out," Sky sighed. "He said that the witch that lent him that crystal was called Dominique, right? Wasn't that the name of the witch that pointed Timmy in the direction of that book?"

"Yeah, I think it was."

Sky sighed again and looked ahead into the darkness that was in front of them. "I really hope we can find a way to stop the Trix before they destroy everything."

"You and me both, bro. You and me both."

* * *

_(1) it weirded me out something fierce first time I saw this episode and Brandon did that. It was a real 'what the . . ?' moment_

_(2) I heard this random fact ages ago so I can't quite recall it exactly. I have a sneaking suspicion that I was a bit tipsy when I heard it too. I don't suggest you go out and try it with cats but since I've already decided to come back as a cat in my next life and I wont be too impressed if you dropped me off the side of a building _

_Did anyone guess the fact that I so don't believe that Riven could walk away from that fall? At the very least he's gonna have a massive bruise on his ass. I also have a problem with that rob/magic stick. Where did it come from and why did Riven just abandon it like that. So many unanswered questions. _

_TBC_


	23. Search for the Flame

_Wow, one hundred reviews. I wasn't really aiming for that or nothing, but it's pretty cool none the less. Only a few more chapters to go guys_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three - Search for the Flame**

Timmy stared moodily at the controls in front of him, seeing nothing. It had been hours since Sky and Brandon had left with Bloom, Stella and Knut and no one had heard anything from them which was making Timmy's mind go into overdrive with countless of 'what-if' scenarios. There had been one small attack by the Trix in that time and although the fairies and the heroes had come out of that clash fairly well they all knew that that wave of monsters were just a fraction of the Army of Decay that was currently being held up at Cloud Tower. No one, not even Saladin and Faragonda, knew the extent of the army that was just waiting to annihilate them and the unknown was driving Timmy crazy.

He had originally been furious that he had been made to stay behind while Brandon and Sky went off to try and save the word but that anger had slowly faded into and agonizing anxiety. Both Red Fountain and Alfea combined made very little impact on one battalion of rot monsters and yet four of his friends were marching right into the very heart of their army. Not to mention that only one of them had any magic. Logically Timmy knew that there was virtually no possibility for them to succeed or even make it out of there alive, but he prayed he was wrong.

And he knew that he wasn't the only one going out of mind. Flora, Musa and Tecna had been equally if not more angry about being left behind and now they were just as anxious for their friends, though they did their best not to let it get to them. All of them had thrown themselves into helping fortify Alfea's defences and trying to boost the morale of the other students. All the Red Fountain boys had been pretty down since the fall of their school but the Alfea fairies were doing their very best to try and counter that. Timmy knew of a few 'end of the world' hook ups going on and several students were using the close proximity between the two schools to get to know a couple of the opposite sex better and Timmy had been no exception.

Though he would never attempt something as sleazy as making a move on Tecna when she was in such a vulnerable position, he had taken the opportunity to get to know her better and things went further than that, well . . . . He wouldn't be complaining.

Tecna shared his anxiety of the unknown and had come up with the idea of creating a warning system to help them predicted the size of the Army of Decay and when they might attack them. Which is why Timmy now found himself locked away in the squad ship, trying to focus on the task in front of him and failing miserably at it.

"Maybe I should ask Tecna to come and help me?" Timmy thought aloud, rotating his pager in his hands. "I mean, it's purely for the good of Alfea, Magix and the rest of the universe, right? It would be wrong of me not too."

Even he didn't believe himself.

"Tenca, I need to see you right away," Timmy paged her and then sat back and waited. It wasn't long before the digital fairy found him, and Timmy felt as if the squad ship's temperature suddenly increased.

"You wanted to see me?" Tecna asked, taking a seat in one of the chairs before the controls.

"Um, yeah," Timmy nodded, trying to make it look like he had been working. "I've been trying to run these numbers but I think I've being doing something wrong given the impractically large results I get. Do you mind giving me a hand?"

"You got it, Timmy," Tecna said, her fingers already flying over the control panel as she tried greater refine the system they had created. The pair working in silence for a time, until Tecna suddenly stopped typing and sighed.

"Something the matter Tecna?" Timmy asked, also stopping his work.

"It's just that I'm so worried about Bloom and the others," Tecna confessed. "They're heading right into the witches stronghold and we have no idea if they're alright. We have no contact with them and who knows what those witches are capable of. I mean, no one's heard anything about what happened to Miss Griffin and the rest of the Cloud Tower Witches. If the Trix can defeat a master witch like Griffin then they might be unstoppable."

"Hey, calm down," Timmy told her gently, reaching across to cover her hand with his. "It'll be fine. We'll find a way to stop them, I know it."

"How can you be sure?"

"We have to believe, don't we?"

Tecna fell silent again as she contemplated his words. He could see her face was still troubled, but he knew she was trying her best to chase away the dark thoughts in her head. Intertwining her fingers with his, Timmy gave her hand a soft squeeze of reassurance. Tecna raised her turquoise eyes coyly to look into his and smiled softly.

"Thanks Timmy," she said quietly and Timmy felt a bit of colour enter his cheeks but he didn't let go of her hand.

"Anytime."

* * *

With the help of Dominique's crystal, Sky and the others were able to find their way into Cloud Tower with a lost less drama then they had encountered when Knut was their guide. The crystal was able to tell them that Miss Griffin and the other witches were still in the dungeons, but it was useless when it came to helping them track down the Trix. 

"I guess we should start looking for them in their dorm room, huh?" Bloom said.

"That makes sense," Sky agreed. "Hopefully the witches don't know we're here so we sneak through without any problems."

"Oh they'd know we're here," Riven instantly replied. He had gone very quiet since his lack of nicotine had made him extremely short tempered and snappy, so he figured it would be better for everyone if he just kept his mouth closed unless the situation demanded it.

"But Knut said he'd be able to avoid the surveillance systems," Stella snapped, torn between glaring at Knut and Riven.

"I did!" Knut whined.

"The witches aren't that stupid enough to just ignore their enemies," Riven said sternly. "They've probably been watching you since you left the ground of Alfea."

"Fantastic," Brandon grumbled, folding his arms across his chest. "We walk all this way just to have the witches waiting for us."

"Hang on you guys. We just might be able to avoid them," Bloom told them, pulling a disc out of her back pocket. "Stella, can you please activate this with a bit of your winx?"

"Sure," Stella nodded, conjuring a ball of magic in her hand. She brushed it over the disc which made a digital clicking sound and a button on it blinked. Sky suddenly had the sensation that someone had just spilt something on his head and it was dribbling down his neck and down the rest of his body. And judging from the way the others were fidgeting, he wasn't the only one feeling it.

"Whoa. What was that?" Brandon gasped, shuttering.

"This is a spell storage disc Tecna gave me," Bloom explained, holding up the disc before slipping it back in her pocket. "You can cast a spell into it and it'll stay there until it's activated by a bust of magic. The spell that was just put on all of us should make us invisible to the witches and their agents."

"That's awesome," Sky noted. If they had a spell like that, they'd be able to pass stealth class, no problem. Confidently, he followed after Bloom as they continued on their way deeper into Cloud Tower, but not everyone shared his confidence.

"Are you sure the witches can't see us?" Stella asked.

"Tenca downloaded the latest anti detection spell so it should work against their surveillance system," Bloom assured her, but Stella still wasn't convinced.

"Let's hope it does."

Bloom was just about to reassure her again when Knut suddenly came to a stop. "What is it Knut?"

"A monster," the ogre reported and Brandon and Sky instantly made a grab for their weapons but they stopped when the monster made no attempt to attack them. It was looking directly at them and yet completely overlooked them. "I guess he can't see us."

"The spell's working."

"Honestly, can a monster be any more disgusting?" Stella asked as she peered past Knut and got a good look at the rot monster. Its tentacles were hanging form its mouth and scores of smaller rot bugs were crawling into its feet and joining its form. "Ewww!"

Knut shushed her and then crept to the corner, the teenagers following him. "Wait here," he told them before edging around the corner.

"What do you think he's doing?" Brandon whispered, but all he got in reply were shrugs. A second later, the wall that Knut was standing in front of slip and open to reveal a secret passageway.

"Let's go. Dis'll lead up to da witches dorm room. They're probably there," Knut said as he entered the dark passageway. The teenagers hesitated for a second, and then Bloom followed him in.

"Why is it always tunnels?" Stella grumbled as they walked through the dark, and no one had an answer for her. They moved in silence until they finally came to a set of double doors which opened into the witches dorm, much to the surprise of everyone who had traveled from Alfea with Knut. Stella, Bloom, Knut and of course Riven had all seen the Trix's room before, but this was the first time for Brandon and Sky.

'Looks like a cheery place to live,' Sky thought to himself and he was equally relieved and disappointed when he noticed that the room was empty. He wanted the witches to pay for all the horrible things they had done, but at the same time he couldn't forget the fact that they had an entire army of decomposing matter at their deposal and all he had was a mere phantom blade.

"No witches here," Stella reported, looking about the room.

"If you had the ultimate power and were trying to take over the work, where would you be?" Bloom pondered.

"Let's see . . . Living it up in the royal faculty lounge perhaps"

"We could go to the lounge," Knut told them, pointing to the door. "That way. I know how to get to all their favourite places."

"It's a very warm feeling room, isn't it?" Brandon smirked sarcastically as Riven quickly and quietly raided one of Darcy's dresser draws for smokes.

"Whatever," Riven grunted as he failed to find any.

Bloom opened the door to the Trix's room and peered outside. She instantly took a step back into the room "I don't think we want to go this way you guys."

But Knut knew another way out. "No problem, we can go through the kitchen. I used to sneak in there at night for cookies and milk. We can get there by the back passage. It's right through the secret mirror door."

Riven's eyes narrowed suspiciously. He never knew there was a passageway there, and he didn't trust it in the slightest. "Didn't we learn something about mirror doors in Intro to Dark Magic?"

"Yeah, they're likely to be traps," Sky recalled.

"Ah, right. Traps," Brandon agreed. There were always traps in any hidden passageway.

"We could for get about the witches and just go for the cookies," Knut suggested. "Come on, they're really good."

Riven decided not to let off the string of curses he had wanted to say and simply settled on, "Forget it. Let's just go."

"Lead the way, Riven. After you," Brandon tried to joke but the filthy look he got in reply indicated that it hadn't gone down so well with his friend. Mentally, Brandon thought 'Okay, not to self; don't tease Riven till his gets his smokes.'

Sky rolled his blue eyes slightly at the two of them when he noticed Bloom making her way towards the mirror door. She had to be crazy to think she was going to be the one to go first, especially since she had no powers. Reached out to grab her shoulder, Sky stopped her in her tracks. "Hold on Bloom."

"Huh?"

"Let me go first," he offered.

And Bloom didn't fight him. "Okay."

"I was gonna go," Brandon told everyone. The last thing he wanted them all thinking was that he was chicken. "I was just joking."

"Let's get 'em," Sky said, entering mirror door first and descending down a massive stair well that resembled an MC Escher drawing. The witches weren't in the royal faculty lounge, which was a dark stinking room where only horrible creatures like teachers could survive. Next they checked the spelling armoury and several other places Knut suggested, but every place showed no traces of the Trix and their time was running out.

"Come on Knut, where could they be?" Bloom asked in an almost pleading tone of voice. The freshmen looked close to tears from the frustration of not being able to find her stolen power.

"Alright, let me think. They could be in the boot room where they play the stomping game with the mice. Or maybe that crypt over there," Knut said, pointing down one of the passages. "That's a secret conjuring spot."

Everyone was aware that they were wasting time with all these guesses, but it was Riven who brought it to their attention. "So how long does the spell last?"

"Anti detection spells don't last long so we don't have too much time," Sky noted, trying to think of a solution to their problem. "Let's split up into two teams."

"Good idea," Brandon agreed. "Riven and I will go check the crypt."

"Text me if you need me," Stella told Brandon as he and Riven headed off down the crypt. Brandon got his broadsword ready.

"See ya!"

"Bloom, you lead the way," Sky suggested as he, Bloom, Stella and Knut headed off in another direction. "Since it's the Dragon Fire we're looking for and it was once a part of you, you might be able to sense where it is."

"I'll try," Bloom promised softly, and then fell silent to help her focus.

* * *

"Well, it doesn't look like the witches are down here," Brandon noted, looking up and down the narrow corridor. He could feel an amplification of the magic in the air which meant that the ogre was right about the crypt being a conjuring spot, but he was wrong about the possibility of the Trix being there. 

"I'm not surprised," Riven grumbled, folding his arms across his chest. Up until now, he had been quiet throughout their search and had left all the chatter to Brandon, and the squire was relieved to finally have him talking again. "They're probably still in Griffin's office."

"What? Why didn't to suggest that earlier?" Brandon demanded.

"I thought you wanted to follow the ogre around in circles instead."

"Dammit Riven, I know there are times when we'd like you to shut the hell up but there are also times that you should speak up," Brandon scolded. "The trick is figuring out which one is appropriate at the time."

"Whatever," Riven shrugged indifferently as the pair started back down the corridor.

"Oh come on, you wonna defeat the Trix, now don't you?"

"Yes," Riven growled, his eyes blazing.

"Then stop sulking and get your head in the game," Brandon told him cheerfully. "We're gonna need everyone giving everything they've got if we're ever going to have a chance of – "

"Brandon, I don't need a pep talk. Let's just catch up with Bloom and the others and try and find the Dragon Fire."

"That's not very enthusiastic," Brandon commented with a serious face. Riven gave his friend a sideways look before rolling his eyes and putting on a very forced positive attitude.

"We'll find the Dragon Fire or may the gods strike us down for failing," he said and Brandon nodded in approval and chuckled. Riven couldn't stop a grin from tugging at the side of his mouth, but it instantly faded as a familiar rushing sound reached his ears. He couldn't have picked worse words to say. "Oh no."

Brandon gave Riven a puzzled look, but any response was cut off by something moving at an impossibly fast pace bolting down the corridor and slamming into the burgundy haired specialist. Riven crashed down onto the stone floor as his feet were knocked out from underneath him and the air instantly left his lungs. Brandon held his sword out in front of him as the speeding blur turned around to come back towards them. As the blur slowed, Brandon's eyes widened as it materialized itself in the form of a girl that looked to be their age. Her hair was violet, her fringe was dyed burgundy and her legs were practically bare. And she was currently glaring down at Riven.

"You tit!" she snapped, her hands on her hips and her body bent slightly so she could get right in Riven's face without losing much height. "You think you can just ignore me back in the cells and I'd just forget about it? I don't care if the universe is going to shit,_ no one_ over looks me, especially some moody little prick with hair that makes him look like he's spent that last year under going electric shock therapy!"

"Er . . . I'm sorry?" Riven apologized uncertainly from the floor. Brandon was just as confused. The realm was going to buggery and this witch was worried about her ego?

"So you should be," the witch told him, standing up straight and flicking her hair over her shoulder. She then turned her sea grey eyes towards Brandon and regarded him in a way that demanded total authority. "Aren't you going introduce me to your friend?"

"Oh how terribly rude of me," Riven said cynically from his place still lying on the floor. "Brandon, this is Dominique. Dom, Brandon."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Brandon grinned nervously.

"You're damn right it is," she replied in an absolutely straight face. She openly looked Brandon up and down making him feel somewhat exposed. Finally, a wicked smile spread across her face. "Cute."

"So I take it Miss Griffin managed to break out of the cells," Riven assumed, saving Brandon from the awkward moment.

"She sure did. She sent me out scouting to see if I could find anyone and maybe pinpoint where the Trix are – P.S. I was so totally right and you were so totally wrong about Darcy and yes I am going to continue to rub it in you face so deal with it – and then I ran into you two. Literally."

"Yeah, I got that part," Riven told her before looking at Brandon. "I guess that means the anti detection spell wore off huh?"

Brandon nodded. "That means it would have worn off Sky and the others as well."

"There are other people here?" Dominique exclaimed. "Who? You know what, never mind. When the Trix find them they'll be dead."

"Oh, thanks for wording it so delicately," Riven muttered.

"Okay, we gotta find Griffin and the others. No one should face those witches alone," Dominique told them, grabbing Brandon by the wrist and placed her foot on Riven's chest. "Hang tight. This might feel a bit weird."

With her free hand she snapped her fingers and Brandon got the sudden sensation as if someone grabbed him around the waist and pulled him sharply backwards. Taking a step backwards, Brandon blinked when he saw that they were no longer standing in the crypt. Instead, they were in a wide hallway that was filled with the entire student body of Cloud Tower and their teachers.

"Whoa," Brandon gasped, looking about him.

"I found someone!" Dominique reported cheerfully.

"I can see that," Miss Griffin told her, looking down at Riven who was still lying on the ground after Dominique bowled him over. He quickly scrambled to his feet and tried to hide his embarrassment by straightening his clothing. A slight smile crossed the head mistress face. "Nice to see you're alive."

"Nice to see you out of your cell," Riven replied.

"Yes, although that doesn't explain why your friend is here. Brandon, is it?"

"Yes ma'am," Brandon said, bowing slightly. "I came here with Prince Sky, Princess Stella and the ogre Knut to escort Bloom in her search for the Dragon Fire so that we might have a chance of defeating the Trix."

"How very brave of you," Griffin noted. "And how very foolish. Dominique, go see if you can find them and bring them back to us. We need to get out of here now. I don't believe that Bloom will find the Dragon Fire here. If the Trix find them first, do not attempt anything. Come right back here. I repeat, do not attempt anything. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Dominique answered before speeding off. Half a second later she returned to stand directly in front of Riven, her hand out stretched. "Give me back my crystal."

Riven return her crystal which she took a bearing off and then bolted.

"So what have you got planned?" Brandon asked Miss Griffin who regarded him in that stern look of hers.

"We have to join Faragonda and her witches at Alfea. Only by having the three schools joined together will we have a chance of defeating the Trix," Miss Griffin told them all before turning to address everyone there. "If we can't stop this here, then there will be no telling how far this _infection_ might spread."

"Oh well put, Miss," one of the witches congratulated. The head mistress smiled softly, but it straightened out when Dominique came bolting back to them, a slightly panicked looked on her face.

"Bloom and the others are walking into a trap and I couldn't get there in time," Dominique reported. "The Trix are going to crush them if we don't get there soon."

"Let's go," Miss Griffin told them all sternly. Her face, the master witch marched after Dominique towards the trap that lay in wait for Bloom and the others. The rest of the witches followed her, and amongst them were a very worried Brandon and a troubled Riven.

"They'll be alright, right?" Brandon asked, his concern clearly etched in his face.

"Yeah, yeah. Griffin can handle it," Riven assured off handedly, but Brandon could see that something was still troubling his friend. "Brandon, do I . . . Do I really looked like an electric shock patient?"

* * *

All the air Sky had in his lungs were instantly knocked out of him when the Trix's dark magic threw him, Stella and Knut up against the wall. When they had first entered the room the Bloom claimed to have the Dragon Fire in it, it had been all warm and inviting. But now, the temperature had plummeted and it was anything but welcoming. Sky slowly slumped to the ground as the three Trix sisters entered the room, each of them absolutely radiating evil. 

"You witches," Sky heard Bloom growl, but he was so groggy he could barely open his eyes let alone get up and defend her. "I'm going to get the Dragon Fire back. It's my destiny to have it."

"That's not your destiny. Your destiny is to be locked in here for eternity because that's what losers get," Icy laughed cruelly. "And you're the ultimate loser."

Sky could sense Bloom frustration and hatred as Darcy started to taunt her. "You're powerless and you're responsible for the destruction of a whole realm."

"You might be the biggest loser in history. They'll have a whole book about you at Alfea," Icy continued.

"Except no body will be able to read it because there won't be any Alfea left," Stormy told her maliciously.

"We've . . . got to help her," Stella gasped, trying to stand. But her legs weren't strong enough to hold her and she collapsed back to the ground. Sky also tried to stand but found that all his strength was zapped from him. All he could do was stay slumped against the wall. But before he could even mutter a curse, a massive green light blasted the Trix from behind and sent them hurling into the wall not far from where Stella, Sky and Knut sat. "Oh, that's gotta hurt."

"Miss Griffin. That was so awesome," Bloom said as the head mistress of Cloud Tower entered the room and Sky unconsciously flinched when he saw the way she was glaring at her former students. If the Trix had been radiating evil when they had entered the room, then Miss Griffin hatred for them completely out nuked their evil. She was actually glowing green which Sky found both intimidating and impressive.

And when she spoke, a chill went down the spine of every single person who heard her voice. "This is my school."

Icy, however, had stopped getting chills years ago and wasn't fazed. Even when she was lying face down on the ground with no powers, she glared at her former head mistress. "We're not scared of you. We're not your students any more and we're more powerful than you'll ever be."

"Then Ice, how come she can knock us around like that?" Stormy muttered to her, but Icy chose not to answer that.

"Because you're a bunch of high school drop outs and I am the head mistress of Cloud Tower," Miss Griffin answered her as Sky, Stella and Knut forced themselves to stand. By now, Brandon, Riven and the other witches had entered the room. Sky heard a small gasp come from Stella when she saw Brandon and she wasted no time in walking over to him to make sure he was alright. Brandon answered her unasked question with a smile and placed his hand on her shoulder. There was no reason to say anything else. "I'll contain them while we go back to Alfea and regroup. Everybody prepare to leave. You too Bloom."

"Oh yeah, that's right. You better run," Icy threatened from her place on the floor.

Miss Griffin regarded her coldly. "I know you'll get your power back and that you'll come after me but when we met again I'll be ready for you. You have dishonoured Cloud Tower and you will pay."

"I think we should go," Stella whispered softly and the rest of the company wordlessly agreed. Behind them, Miss Griffin started her containment spell. Stella placed her slim hand on Brandon's arm and both held his gaze and all his attention as they walked out of the room. "Nothing bad happened to you while I was gone, now did it?"

"Not really. I experienced my first teleportation without something like a transport pad or your scepter or something like that, and it's surprising how different it feels," Brandon said, glancing at Dominique who was now dressed in her witches robes. "It's like someone's trying take your stomach and they really don't care if it's still in you."

"What's Miss Griffin doing?" Bloom asked, looking back. The rest of the company also stopped to watch the master witch at work, but no one knew what she was up too. All they knew was that a purple barrier suddenly erected its self, trapping the Trix behind it.

"What's I'm doing is putting you in detention. And if you talk, pass notes or chew gum the detention barrier will double in strength," Miss Griffin said loudly, before turning and leaving the room quickly. "Come on!"

The others sensed her haste and quickly bolted down the corridor.

"I don't get it," Brandon panted as they ran. Behind them, Miss Griffin spelled the doors to act as another obstacle to delay the witches. "If she trapped them, why are we running?"

"Let's go. The kind of power they have is tremendous. The wall won't contain them for long," Miss Griffin told the students and in doing so answered Brandons question. She calmly rejoined the group as the witches got ready to go. "I hope you all remember the mayhem procedures."

"This is for you Miss Griffin. It's the fashion club's very own survival cloak," one of her students said, offering her a maroon cloak. "It'll protect you."

"Oh that colour is so not in fashion this year," Stella muttered quietly as Miss Griffin put on the cloak. Almost as an after thought, the princess regarded Riven. "Which reminds me, we have unfinished business as far as your fashion goes."

Riven chose to bite his tongue rather than start up an argument with her. After all, he did have to escape from Cloud Tower . . . _again._

"Alright, I want everyone to stay together," Miss Griffin order. "Dominique, I want you to go ahead of us and scout out if the halls leading to the upper most terrace is clear."

"Yes ma'am," Dominique saluted before bolting off at super speed. She reappeared a second later, waving from the other end of the corridor to confirm that the path was safe. Wordlessly, Miss Griffin started marching, and her students followed.

"Where are we going Miss Griffin?" the witch who had given her the cloak asked.

"The terrace. We need to get to the highest elevation possible. We must exit safely and calmly. Did you do a head count?"

"Yes, we're all here."

"Good. Everyone stay together."

Everyone walked in silence, but there was a slight panic hovering just under the surface of everyone there. Dominique kept assuring them that halls were clear, but some of the witches still felt anxious. "Miss Griffin what's going to happen once they break down the wall?"

"I'm not sure," Miss Griffin confessed. "But believe me we don't want to be here and find out."

"So we're just going to leave?" Stella complained before anyone could stop her. "What about the flame? We went through a whole lot so we could get in here and take it back."

"We do need to get it back and you fairies were very brave to come here by yourself" Miss Griffin congratulated them. "You should certainly get plenty of extra credit for your efforts but the truth is that you have no chance against them and neither do I. Not while they've have the Dragon Fire."

"Way da keep things positive," Brandon muttered and Sky elbowed him in the ribs.

"I must combine my powers with Saladin And Faragonda. We stand for the three points of magic which must be joined. Only then will we might be able to take the power back."

"So is there no chance of me finding the Dragon Fire on my own, huh?" Bloom asked her, her hope fading.

"I didn't say that. You may find it yet, but I'm certain that you won't find it here. The only Dragon Fire within these walls has been tainted by the Trix. I'm sorry, but you'll have to look somewhere else."

"Don't worry Bloom. We'll find it," Sky assured her, but she still looked down.

Just at that second, Dominique bolted back to them. "Coast is clear," she reported. "And we really need to rethink these robes miss. Do you have any idea how hard it is to run in them at super speed?"

"Dom, the worlds ending," Riven reminded her.

"Was I talking to you?"

"Children, please," Miss Griffin begged as she opened a door that lead outside. Slowly, she began climbing a massive set of stairs that lead up to one of the highest points in the school. Icy winds ripped through their clothes, but the others followed her up regardless. After one strong gust of wind, Stella grabbed Brandon's arm and buried her face into it.

"You alright babe?" he asked.

"Don't tell anyone, but I'm not too great with heights."

"Oh," was all Brandon could reply with. He didn't want to point out the irony that she was a fairy and that he had seen her flutter above buildings in the past. A good boyfriend would do that.

"I'll conjure a vorpal tunnel to take us right to Alfea," Miss Griffin told them all as they climbed onto the terrace. "You have to allow to energy of the portal to sweep you up. It will not work if there is any resistance."

Gathering her power, the headmistress of Cloud Tower focused her energy into trying to break through the boundaries that time and physics had erected to instantly transport the entire student body of Cloud Tower and their guests all the way to Alfea. Lightning crashed around her as she raised her hands skywards and the clouds began to swell. And from the centre of the swirling cloud bank, a green beam slowly descended out of the dark sky above.

"Whoa," Dominique gasped. Even to a witch who specialized in teleportation and translocation, the magic Miss Griffin was using to open such a large vorpal tunnel was mind boggling. "Hard core."

"Enter the portal in alphabetical order. Go!" Miss Griffin ordered and her students did as they were bid without question. For all those who weren't witches, however, there was a slight hesitation.

"This isn't going to be pleasant, is it?" Brandon groaned. He had already been teleported once today by a witch and even just watching the witches float up into the sky and vanish into the clouds was making his queasy. He could tell Stella was feeling the same.

"Well, the alternative isn't any better," Bloom replied as the roar of the decay sentries filled the air. Looking back down the stair case they had just climbed, they could see the hulking bodies of the Army of Decay moving up towards them.

"The monsters are coming! Everyone get in! Hurry!" Miss Griffin demanded, but Bloom, Sky, Stella, Brandon, Riven and Knut made no attempt to move. They all knew that they needed someone to cover their escape. Miss Griffin, however, clearly just wanted to get everyone out of there. "What are you waiting for? Hop in!"

"No. If the monsters get into the portal, there will be no way to stop them," Sky reminded her. The master witch's eyes widened slightly, but he could tell that she knew he was right. Miss Griffin was the logical choice to remain behind since she was the only one with the power to delay the Army of Decay, but they needed her to reopen the vorpal tunnel back at Aflea. If she didn't, the witches that had already entered the portal would be stuck in a dimension where time and physic didn't exist for an eternity. There was only one option for them. "I'll stay behind."

"No," Brandon gasped, his eye wide with horror. If Sky was to stay behind, there was a slim to none chance of him ever returning to Alfea alive. Riven's expression was equally as grave, but both boys knew that even if there was time they could never talk Sky out of it. He was annoyingly stubborn and noble like that. They were just completely out of options.

Miss Griffin seemed to know this too, but at least she could aid him in some way to give him slightly better odds. Gathering as much power as she could, Miss Griffin conjured up a vehicle from Cloud Towers private garage. "Here. Use this to get to Alfea."

"Gods," Riven gasped in pure awe as a state of the art Wind Rider levi bike materialized itself out of thin air. If it was possible to legally marry a form of transport, then a Wind Rider would be Riven's ideal wife. And he wasn't alone in thinking that.

"It's beautiful," Brandon whispered, his eyes lost in the shiny metal of the bike.

"Are you guys like in love?" Stella asked with a roll of her eyes. When both boys nodded numbly, she promptly hit them both over the head, snapping them out of their dazed state.

Sky, on the other hand, didn't need anyone to hit him in order to get him focused, but that didn't mean that he wasn't simply overflowing with delight as he made his way over to the bike. "Sweet," he grinned before climbing onto the seat. The second he put his left foot into position to drive off, advanced riding armor began encasing his body and linking him with the bike. As the armor covered his hands and he placed them on the handle bars, the bikes power suddenly rushed into the suit, highlighting to him every weakness and strength the bike had. The bikes helmet wrapped around his head and covered his eyes, making him look like some kinda of futuristic mutant (1), but it locked his mind directly into the bikes computer. Even without moving, the bike was informing him to the best gears to be in given the terrain as well as other interesting tips to make the bike move better.

"Hold on," Bloom stopped him just as he was about to start the engine up and charge the Army of Decay monsters that were closing in on them. "You're gonna need help. I'm coming with you."

A sharp stab of panic suddenly filled Sky's chest at the thought of bringing Bloom into such a dangerous situation without her powers, but it vanished just as quickly when he reminded himself that technically _he _was without powers also and he that knew he'd feel a lot better knowing Bloom was safe with him since no one could protect her like he could. Smiling, he gave her a quick nod. "That's great. Hop on the back. You and me together, well, I can't think of a better battle team anywhere."

"No," Stella whined quietly as Bloom climbed on behind Sky and the same body armor covered her body. She didn't want to be separated from her best friend during a disaster like this one, but like the others, she realized that there was no way she'd be able to talk Bloom out of it. Without a word, Brandon slipped his hand in hers and gave it a quick squeeze, knowing exactly how she felt.

The rot monsters had now made it to the top of the stairs and were spreading out over the terrace. Knut was already heading towards the vorpal tunnel, and Brandon released Stella's hand to do the same.

"Now, let's get these rot monsters out of here," Sky growled, kicking over the engine and wasting no time at charging at the decay monsters. "Back!" he shouted as he flew into a group of them, and in their efforts to avoid him, the monsters lost their balance and fell over the edge of the terrace. "Yah!"

"Go guys!" Bloom shouted at the others. "We got it under control!"

Riven regarded the two of them for a second and the shame he felt swell up inside of him was almost unbearable. He should have been the one sacrificing his life since he had played a small hand in helping the witches raise the Army of Decay, but he knew that if anyone was going to be able to take on the rot monsters and make it back to Alfea alive, it would be Sky and Bloom. Feeling utterly useless, Riven turned and followed Brandon into the vorpal tunnel. "Good luck!"

"See you back at Alfea!" Stella called as she entered to tunnel, followed finally by Miss Griffin. The headmistress was the last person to float up into the clouds and then everything when white.

* * *

Back on the terrace, Sky found himself completely surrounded by rot monsters. Gritting his teeth, the prince tried to think of a way out seeing that the rot monsters didn't look like they were willing to let them leave. 

"Okay, let's keep them away from the portal," Bloom told him, wrapping her arms tightly around his middle. If they weren't staring a bunch of monsters made for carcasses who wanted to destroy them right in the face, Sky probably would have really enjoyed this moment. He was on the bike of his dreams with the girls of his dreams. What more could a guy ask for?

"I don't think it's the portal they're interested in," Sky said, blocking out all other thoughts so he could think of a way out. Luckily, the Wind Rider was more focused then he was and offered him several options and Sky took the first one that was give to him. "Hold on tight Bloom."

"Why? What are you going to do?" Bloom asked, a slight note of panic in her voice.

"I'm going to drive off the edge and try and out run them all the way to Aflea."

"Are you crazy? That's ages away!"

"I know, but it's the only option we have," Sky reminded her, revving the engine.

Bloom was silent for a second, and the he sensed her nodding. "Okay, you drive, I swat." Sky couldn't deny that Blooms total faith in him didn't make him feel all warm inside, but as the rot monsters closed in on them, he was quickly reminded that he needed to focus. Shifting his position on the bike slightly, Sky got ready to take on the task that was at hand. "Go!"

At Blooms command, Sky released the restraint he had on the bike and shot towards the line of rot monsters that was standing in front of him. Bloom tightened her grip around Sky's waist as they collided with the monster, and used her legs to kick a couple of them off balance. With a horrible, wailing roar, the decay monsters feel over the edge and went hurdling down to the ground below where they splattered into the small bugs. The Wind Rider, however, continued on smoothly as if it still had ground underneath it

"Nice one," Sky congratulated her. Levi bikes didn't need to have a base beneath them, but they did move much better if they did. But the Wind Rider had no such disadvantage. It smoothly descended to the ground and easily adapted itself to the change elevation. It didn't even scrap itself while landing, something Sky knew his levi bike would do if they descended from the same angle. And then, with speeds that were so fast it made Sky feel slight giddy, they raced towards Alfea. "I totally need to get one of these Wind Riders."

"Are you sure you can go this fast?" Bloom shouted over the wind and she gripped him tightly.

"No, but I don't think we have much choice," Sky reminded her. Just when he was starting to think they were out of the danger zone, several decay monsters materialized in the trail in front of them. Shocked, Sky slowed the bike before he could reconsider it. "Wow, they're faster than us."

The monsters bared their tentacle filled mouths at him and the prince felt his skin crawl. But what terrified him even more was when Bloom suddenly gasped. "They're on me!" she squealed, and Sky twisted in his seat to see that there were several tiny little bugs crawling all over her. And no matter what she did, she couldn't seem to brush them off. "They're clinging to my suit!"

"I'll shake 'em off!" Sky told her as he took off again. Weaving in and out of the monster that blocked his path, Sky sped free of them and in the process throwing a few of the bugs off of Bloom. But they were running out of time. The bike informed him that it was running low on power and gave him several options to either save power or how to get as much distance from the Army of Decay before its engines died. "I don't know how much fast I can go with this bike," Sky told Bloom. "Just hold on kay."

Choosing to go with the 'get as much distance from the Army of Decay before the bikes engines died' was the option, Sky pressed down on a button that the bike informed him activated the warp drive that was built into it. Why someone decided that a bike needed to travel at warp speed was beyond Sky, but right now he was extremely grateful for it. The bike burst forward with an insane amount of speed and Sky tried his best to keep control of it. His lower face began to freeze as the air hit it, but he didn't slow down. He needed to get away from the Army of Decay and by the looks of it, that was exactly what he was doing.

"Alright! They're gone!" Bloom cheered, hugging Sky tightly.

"I'm going to take the forest road," Sky informed her. The words had barely left his mouth when a bolt of energy suddenly blasted itself at his bike. The connection between Sky's suit and the bike wavered slightly and then reestablished itself.

"What was that?" Bloom gasped.

"We must have hit a defense system!" Sky told her as another bolt tried to zap them. This time the connection between suit and bike completely severed and Sky began to lose all control he had over the bike.

"Whoa! Should we stop?"

"The bike won't let me! It's not responding!" Sky shouted as he tried to get control over the bike. Slowly, the suit began reconnecting its link to the bike, but it was only doing it at one small stage at a time. And judging from the reading of the road it suddenly reported to Sky, there was no time. "There's a hair pin turn coming up! Hold on tight!"

Focusing all his attention on the turn, Sky was forced to draw on all his driving experience if he was going to survive this corner. He was just getting ready to try and get the bike to drift when Blooms voice suddenly shattered his concentration. "Oh no!"

"Huh?" Sky grunted, looking behind him to see smoke billowing from the back of the bike. But that distraction was enough for the bike to suddenly break free from Sky's control and send itself into a spin. Before he could stop anything, the bike crashed through the barrier and hurled itself over the cliff. With Bloom squeezing onto him so hard it was difficult to breathe, Sky tried to restart the engines before they crashing into the ground. They flickered for a second, and then came blaring back to life. "Hold on! Just hold on! I got it!"

"You sure?" Bloom wavering voice asked as the continued to drop, though not as rapidly as before. Although Sky had got the engines working, there wasn't enough time or power for them to avoid a crash. All it did was cushion the landing for them a bit. The landing was hard and it jarred Sky in places a guy shouldn't be, but at least they were alive.

"Sorry," Sky said, the visor to his helmet lifting slightly. "That was bumpy. You okay?"

Bloom laughed nervously and decided not to answer his question. The bike continued to smoke and above them, violet light crashed through the clouds. They were out of Cloud Tower, but they were no safer then they had been before.

* * *

Meanwhile, but at Alfea, Timmy was trying his best not to panic. He was already rather nervous since he was working in such close proximity with Tecna, but the results they had gotten after trying to calculate the size of the witches' army was enough to send him into an anxiety attack. But two years of ceremony and decorum at Red Fountain had taught him to hold it all inside. 

"Impossible," Tecna gasped. "It's just impossible."

"Don't get alarmed Tecna," Timmy said in a voice that was so calm it even surprised him. "It's the first time we've used this warning system. Er, the numbers could be off. Don't get me wrong, I'm not underestimating your mathematical skills, but anyone can make a mistake, right? Did you check your results?"

"Of course I did," Tecna replied in a slightly insulted tone, but that quickly changed to one of concern. "I double checked them. And then I triple checked them."

Timmy swallowed hard. "In that case the witches will be attacking Alfea with an army that's – for lack of a better word – big."

"Timmy, from the look of these numbers, the witches' army isn't just big. It's bigger than we could have imagined."

"Oh man," Timmy groaned, running a nervous hand through his orangey hair. Everything was going wrong. This was the time of year where everything was supposed to be wrapping up and everyone would be getting ready for graduation and the massive end of year parties that went with it. But now they were facing an impossible enemy and he still had no idea about the fate of his friends. Everything was just going wrong. "This really isn't my week."

* * *

_(1) Like say Cyclops from X-Men?_

_TBC._


	24. Battle for Alfea

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Twenty-Four - Batlle for Alfea**

"Well, I guess that's the end of the Wind Rider," Bloom sighed, kicking the cold bike. Sky could tell she was frustrated, but that was really no excuse for her to take it out on a defenseless bike. "I guess we'll have to walk from here."

"Not necessarily. I could always try and fix it," Sky suggested. He had done pretty well in their mechanics class and he was always fiddling around with his own bike. Sure, he had never tried tampering with something as advanced as a Wind Rider, but how hard could it be?

"But that'll take to long," Bloom pointed out. "And we need to get back to Alfea now."

"Yeah, but we can't just leave the bike here," Sky countered. "I mean, it's not even ours. Miss Griffin gave it to us to try and help us escape. It would be rude of us not to return it to her."

Bloom put her hands on her hips and studied Sky face shrewdly. "What a minute, you just want to ride this thing some more, don't you?"

"No! That's not it at all," Sky lied. "I'm only looking out for your best interests. You have to admit that it would get us back to safety much fast than if we were walking."

"Uh-huh," Bloom said with feigned interest.

"Yeah so, any time spent fixing the Wind Rider can be made up in like a second on the back of this baby. We'd be stupid not to try it."

"Sky," Bloom warned, and his façade instantly crumbed.

"But it's a really good bike," he pouted and no matter how hard she tried to fight it, Bloom could help but smile. He looked like a little kid who had been refused his favorite toy.

"Alright, alright. I give in. You have half an hour to try and fix it and if you haven't made any headway after that, we're walking," she told him.

"Thank you Bloom!" Sky beamed, rushing over and pulling her into a tight hug. Once he released her, he turned and got right to work on fixing the Wind Rider. "Imagine the looks on everyone's faces when we roll into Aflea on the back of this baby!"

But half and hour later, his fantasy was rapidly deteriorating and reality was setting in. No matter what he did, he just could seem to get the bike to start. He whished Timmy was here since he could get it going in a second, but unfortunately he was still back at Alfea and Sky had no idea what he was doing.

"Well, how's it looking?" Bloom asked him, though he was sure she already knew the answer. Reluctantly, Sky got to his feet.

"I can't get the power converter to fribulate," he told her.

"So, what's that mean?"

"Actually, I have no idea what I'm talking about, Bloom, but one thing I do know; that bike is busted," he finally admitted. Without an argument, the pair went with Blooms idea and started walking. Disappointed and ashamed that he had wasted all that time on nothing, Sky kept his eyes fixed on the ground.

Bloom, sensing his mood, tried to lighten him up. "Fribulate . . . Is that even a word?"

A ghost of a smile graced Sky lips and he realized what she was trying to do. "It is now. Look, I'm sorry Bloom. I shouldn't have wasted all that time on that stupid bike. I don't know what I was thinking. You'd probably be better off on your own or with someone else instead of me."

"Hey, stop that. I'm glad you're here. I mean, I can't think on any other person who would travel halfway across the universe just to pick me up and make sure I'm okay. And who cares if you really wanted to fix the bike? If it had worked out it would have been worth it. If Stella was here instead of you, she'd probably want to stop by Magix on the way to Alfea to pick up a new pair of shoes. Least you get distracted by things that could actually help us."

"Actually, going to Magix wouldn't be such a bad idea," Sky noted.

Bloom stopped walking and stared at him. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, I'm not. Magix is a lot closer than Alfea is at the moment. If we go to Magix we can pick up some kind of transport to help us get back to the others a lot faster," Sky explained.

Bloom was silent as she pondered his thought, and then nodded. "Sounds like a plan," she said before starting to walk again.

"And if we have time we might be able to pick up some new shoes while we're at it," Sky smiled jokingly and was rewarded with one of Blooms warm smiles and a genuine laugh.

"Only if we get something for Stella while we're at it."

* * *

Everything around Brandon was white. Nothing else existed beyond that. He couldn't see or hear anyone else even though he was certain that Stella, Riven, Knut and the rest of the witches were in the same place he was. He was just surrounded by a vast, eternal emptiness. Thought and time didn't exist. Seconds became as long as the life time of a planet. Brandon could feel his body and he wasn't sure if he was even breathing. 

Reality as he knew it was gone, and all that replaced it was white emptiness.

For what seemed like an eternity he floated through the nothingness until, on the very edge of his consciousness, he heard someone calling out.

"_Everyone . . . To me . . ." _

The voice kept repeating those same three words over and over again, but it was same time before Brandon could remember who that voice belonged to. "Miss Griffin?"

The second he remembered her, the whiteness rushed away from him and he felt himself materializing. Out of focus figures began to appear around him like object coming out of a fog, and as his clarity increased he was able to see that they were the Cloud Tower witches and his friends. And standing at the front of the group was Miss Griffin who was finishing calling in everyone. The whiteness continued to fade and suddenly the grounds of Alfea materialized out of know where.

"It's Princess Stella! They're back!" a voice called cheerfully. And jubilation Brandon might have felt for finally making it back to safety was ruined by the foul waves of nausea was churned inside of him. Everything seemed all out of whack. He couldn't think straight, he was tired and he felt all out of place.

Vorpal tunnel was officially his least favorite way to travel.

"And they rescued the imprisoned witches," Flora noted. "But they look pretty grumpy."

"It's vorpal tunnel syndrome," Tecna explained. "It's like jet lag."

'Only ten thousand times worse,' Brandon thought to himself as he tried to stop the world from spinning. He faintly heard Ms. Faragonda order everyone to stand back as she moved forward to meet Miss Griffin. The two rivals regarded each other coolly and their face gave away no hint to what they were thinking.

"How long has it been since you last set foot on the Alfea campus, Griffin?" Ms. Faragonda finally asked.

"We were juniors and Edel Drude and I was sneaking onto campus to turn the Kai Fly sorority into goats," Miss Griffin answered honestly.

"Ah, yes, if memory serves me, I believe you left our campus seven inches tall," Faragonda recalled before adding, "In a jar."

"Those were happier times, weren't they?" Griffin said with a completely straight face.

"With all of us banding together perhaps those happier time can return."

The two rivaling headmistresses smiled softly at one another, and it was clear to everyone that the two of them were willing to put aside their differences in order to face this new threat. Since the two teachers weren't going to do anything interesting, Brandon scanned the quad in search for a friendly face. The rest of the Wix Club were there, but there was no sign of Timmy. He did see Kane and Dave though, and wasted no time bolting over to them. Stella took to the sky and headed over towards her friends as well.

"Hey Brandon! You made it back!" Kane greeted warmly.

"What's up guys?" Brandon asked casually as he placed a hand on Kane's shoulder in a friendly manner. Both Kane and Dave were beaming widely, clearly glad that their friend was alright.

"Tell him how worried you were," Dave grinned at Kane who suddenly looked a bit embarrassed.

"I wasn't worried about him," Kane said. Riven watched them from a distance, and then purposely turned his back on them and clenched his eyes shut. Kane may be his roommate, but by gods Riven hated that guy. Plus, it kinda stung that no one cared that he was back, especially since he had been missing longer than Brandon was.

"There you are," a familiar voice called out, and Riven opened his eyes to see Lex bolting over to him. "Where have you been, man?"

"In a minute," Riven brushed the question aside. "Do have your smokes on you?"

"Er, yeah?"

"Gimme one."

"Dude, there's teachers everywhere."

"Lex, if you don't give me a smoke right now, I'm going to castrate you," Riven threatened. Lex quickly handed over the entire packet. Not care that there were teachers watching him or that there was no smoking on school grounds, Riven pulled out a cigarette, placed it between his lips and lit up. Breathing deep, Riven let the calmly power of nicotine wash over him and gods it felt good. He didn't even care that Codatorta and Brandon were glaring at him disapprovingly. The world was about to come to an end at the hands of an army composed entirely of rot, so one teenager's bad habits were not the biggest drama they had to face today.

"Brandon!" Timmy shouted, running over from where he had been working in the squad ship. He was using the warning system he had Tecna had invented to try and estimate when the Trix would attack next, but when he had looked out the window and seen the group of witches standing in the quad, he had stopped what he was doing and bolted over to his friends as fast as possible. "You're alright!"

"Hey Timmy," Brandon grinned as he pulled the skinnier boy into a rough, brotherly hug. Timmy had a massive smile on his face when he stepped back to looked Brandon over to make sure that he was in fact unharmed. "I'm fine. But how bout you, bro? Did the Army of Decay give you any problems while we were gone?"

"We had one attack but it wasn't very big," Timmy replied before looking over at Riven. "And I guess you found him at Cloud Tower, huh?"

"Yeah, and you were right; Darcy did lock him up," Brandon explained with no pleasure. "He managed to break out and ended up saving us from a bunch of beetle roaches as well as proving to be very helpful when it came to finding our way into Cloud Tower."

"Well, I guess it's safe to say that he and Darcy are no longer an item," Timmy noted.

"Yeah, he's actually behaving more normal than he has been all year. He hates Darcy and he even apologized to us for the way he's been acting."

"I thought you said behaving normal again," Timmy said with a slight grin as Riven made his way over to the pair. "Hey Riven, how you going?"

"Fantastic," Riven grinned blissfully as he took another drag of his smoke. He held the smoke inside his lungs for a while and then released it. "I got my nicotine fix."

"Yes, I see that," Brandon said disapprovingly, but Riven took no notice of him.

"Where's Sky you guys?" Timmy asked and he was instantly answered with silence.

"He and Bloom stayed behind to make sure no monsters followed us into the vorpal tunnel," Brandon explained. Riven crushed the end of his cigarette under his heel and then lit up another one as Brandon filled Timmy in on what had happened since he had last scene them.

"So, we have no idea where Bloom and Sky are and we have no idea if they're alright?" Timmy asked.

"Yup, that's pretty much it," Riven answered as he come to the end of his second smoke.

"So what do we do?"

"We can't do anything," Brandon said glumly.

"Well, I'll tell you what I'm gonna do; I'm gonan find Jacob and get something to eat, then I'm gonna had another smoke and trying as get some sleep so that when the Trix and their rot army attacks us next I'll be ready for 'em. Later guys," Riven said as he walked away.

"He's right. The only thing we can do is get ready for the Trix's next attack," Timmy sighed. "I have a feeling that the final battle is coming soon. Either we win, or we lose."

"Man, I hate it when there are only two options," Brandon grumbled. "And I know I'd feel a lot better if Sky would just hurry up and get here."

"You're not the only one."

* * *

"Wouldn't it be quicker to go through Black Mud Swamp?" Bloom asked Sky. They had been walking for hours and the sun was starting to go down. And Magix didn't seem to be getting closer. 

"Yeah that's true," Sky agreed, "but these tree tops will provide better cover for us."

"Oh yeah, I guess your right," Bloom mumbled unenthusiastically. Sky wanted to stop and hold her in his arms while he whispered to her that everything would be alright but he figured that might be moving a little too fast. Hell, a few days ago he had reduced her to tears and she had claimed she was never going to speak to him again.

"Those winged monsters a probably patrolling the whole realm. At least this way we're safe," he pointed out. He kept walking, but Bloom didn't.

"Sky, I'm scared," Bloom admitted.

"Huh?" Sky grunted, looking back to see that she had stopped. Her pretty face was so troubled. "What's wrong?"

"Without my powers I feel like the helpless little girl from Earth," Bloom sighed as she took a seat on a rock.

"You're not though, Bloom," Sky tried to tell her, but he got the feeling that she wasn't listening to what he was saying. "You are the last princess of Sparx. That's pretty awesome."

"I know but the only thing separating some normal girl from Gardenia from the last princess of Spraz was a magic power that I no longer have," Bloom said, close to tears. Sky kneeled down and took her hands in his. "Without it I'm just, well . . . "

"When you learned the truth about me you said it didn't change who I was," Sky pick up when she trailed off. Why couldn't Bloom see what he saw? She was amazing, with or without power. If he could just get her to see that.

"Yeah, but that was you."

Sky got to his feet and tried to get her to see clearly. "Nothing can change who you are, Bloom. Some things can't be taken away," he told her as she got to her feet again. "Now let's go. The quicker we get to Magix, the quicker we can find transportation to Alfea."

"I guess," Bloom sighed as they continued their walking. "I just wish I had the Dragon Fire. I feel so useless without it."

"Bloom, your power doesn't make you who you are. You've got to understand that. Your true strength is what you do without any magic. That's what they always tell us at Red Fountain. You can do so much without magic but just don't realize it. Without the Dragon Fire you went to Sprax and faced a whole army of ice crabs. Without the Dragon Fire you penetrated the witches' stronghold. Without the Dragon Fire you still managed to fight off any decay monster that came after you. All in all, I think this Dragon Fire is over rated. It's got nothing on Bloom Fire."

"Bloom Fire?" Bloom repeated, a little bit of a laugh in her voice.

"Yeah. And to be honest, I gotta say that I don't care that you have enough power to knock Diaspro out of the sky," Sky told her and she giggled bashfully at his Diaspro comment. "I think the greatest thing about your power is that it brought you into my universe."

Bloom blushed and smiled softly. "That's sweet."

"I try."

They walked in silence from there but Sky kept trying to catch Blooms eye. But she seemed distracted by something and after a while, Sky gave up trying. Bloom kept looking around her as if she was trying to spot someone who was calling out her name. Finally it got too much for her and she came to another stop.

"Hold up. Did you hear that?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"I thought I heard a voice just now."

Sky quickly dismissed the 'crazy' thought and tried to look at this logically. "I didn't hear a thing. But these woods are full of creatures. Come on lets get going"

* * *

Brandon moved silently through the halls of Alfea. The school for fairies was on high alert, so even though the fairies, heroes and now witches tried to get some rest during the brief cease fire, there was still a tense presence that lingered over the school. Brandon would have liked nothing more than the go to the quarters that Faragonda had provided for them and try and get some sleep, but he knew that he wasn't going to find any rest soon. There was still no word on what had happened to Sky and Bloom and Brandon knew that he wouldn't find any sleep until they were both back safe. 

But even if his mind wouldn't stop coming up with countless 'what if' situations, Brandon's body was demanding that he stop for a while and give it a chance to re-gather its strength. Brandon really hadn't stopped since this war started and he could feel it starting to take its toll on his body. After the first attack at Red Fountain, no one had been able to get any sleep and since the fall of his school, Brandon had been running off on rescue missions to Sparx and Cloud Tower.

Entering one of the classrooms that had been transformed into sleeping quarters for Alfea's many guests, Brandon saw that several of the cots that had replaced the desks were already claimed by some of Red Fountain's students. Envious of his classmates ability to find sleep at a time like this, Brandon moved off to one of the spare cots to just lie down for a bit and was a tad surprised when he saw who had claimed the cot next to his.

"Least one of us can get some sleep," Brandon said to Riven's sleeping form with a half hearted laugh, through one look at Riven's moving eyelids and his slight twitching limbs was enough to confirm that it was not a peaceful sleep.

The burgundy haired specialist lay above his sheets on his stomach and he hadn't even made an effort to remove his shoes let alone changing into something more comfortable to sleep in. His violet eyes danced under their lids and his body seemed to spasm in a restless sleep, but with everything that had happened to him over the last few days Brandon wasn't that surprised by his behaviour. It wasn't every day that your girlfriend goes insane, imprisons you in a dungeon and then tries to enslave the universe with an army made from rotting leaves and decaying animal carcasses. Brandon was trying to fight himself not to smile so he wasn't prepared when Riven suddenly jerked awake.

"Geeze!" Brandon gasped as Riven blinked the sleep out of his eyes. "You nearly made me jump out of my skin."

Riven blinked again, a confused expression on his face. "What were you doing?"

"Er . . . I was just trying to get some sleep," Brandon said. That was half true.

"Right," Riven said in a tone that indicated that he didn't believe a word of it. Rolling onto his back and folding his hands behind his head, Riven closed his eyes and tried to fall back to sleep, but he could still feel Brandon's eyes on him. Sighing, Riven opened his eyes again and looked at Brandon, who instantly looked away. "Any word on Sky?"

"Nah," Brandon answered, keeping his eyes fixed on the sheets he was fiddling with nervously. He knew that Riven needed to know that there was a possibility that Darcy had spelled him, but he couldn't think of a way to bring it up without making Riven angry. Still grappling with the dilemma, Brandon didn't notice someone else enter the room until he was pretty much standing right on top of him.

"You alright Brandon?" Timmy asked, making Brandon jump slightly.

"Yeah man. I'm fine," Brandon grinned, moving his legs a bit so Timmy could sit down on the end of his cot. Both boys knew why Timmy had come looking for Riven, and they also knew that they needed to tell Riven now that they thought he had been spelled. Timmy understood what Darcy had done to Riven better than Brandon could, and Timmy was the one out of the four friends that no one would dare raise a hand to, so Brandon decided to leave the talking to his genius friend.

Timmy regarded Riven, who was once again trying to fall back asleep. "And how you feeling, Riv?"

"'M fine," Riven grumbled, not opening his eyes.

"Okay," Timmy nodded. "How bout you answer that again and this time be honest."

Riven opened his eyes and slowly looked over to glare hardly at Timmy. With an un-amused expression, he simply repeated what he had said before. "I'm fine."

"I don't believe you."

"That's you're problem," Riven said as he rolled over and put his back to them, but Timmy wasn't fazed.

"And what would be your problem then? Your leg?" Timmy asked and Brandon could clearly see the muscle in Riven's back tense. "I know you didn't feel that pain before but that could have changed, right? Or maybe you've just been listening to voices that no one else can hear? Or maybe you're just guilty that you sent Rouge the dragon insane with your antics on the Day of the Royals?"

Riven rolled over and sat up sharply with his legs hanging over the side of the bed. Even in the dark room Brandon could see that his violet eyes were blazing and he was burning them into Timmy. "Is there a point to all this?"

"Yes, I think Darcy spell you on the Day of the Rose which caused you to act that way you have been over the last few months," Timmy said evenly, not at all intimidated by Riven's heated gaze.

Whatever answer Riven had been expecting, the one Timmy gave him wasn't it. His anger was instantly replaced by shock as he stared in confusion at his friend. "What?"

"I think Darcy spell you on the Day of the Rose which caused you to act that way you have been over the last few months," Timmy repeated. "She spelled you into do whatever she wanted, even if it was against your own will."

"Dude, when you crashed on the Day of the Rose and Darcy caught you, while you were out cold it looked like there was a purple haze around you," Brandon added. "And then when you woke up you were acting all different."

"Darcy's been manipulating you this whole time," Timmy finished and the fell silent to give Riven a chance to let this new information digest.

Riven didn't look at either of his friends as he went back through his memory to the Race for the Rose. There was something odd about him when he woke up, and that was about the time when he stopped feeling any emotion except when Darcy was around. The more the looked at it the more it seemed to fit. It was a reasonable possibility that Darcy had spelled him, but Riven was never one to be known for being reasonable.

"I don't believe you," Riven spat, getting to his feet and storming off.

"Wait? What?" Brandon gasped.

"Riven!" Timmy scolded, and Riven turned back around to glare at his friends.

"Look, Darcy was a mistake, I get that. I screwed this entire year up, I know. I screw up," Riven told them, speaking the last three words very slowly so they'd get the point. "But telling me some bull shit story to try to make me feel a little less guilty isn't gonna work. I messed up and I'll face the consequences of that even if it means getting kicked out of Red Fountain."

"But Riven we're not making this up," Brandon said pleadingly, hoping that Riven would see sense. "We honestly believe that Darcy spelled you."

"Whatever, I've leaving," Riven growled, turning his back on them again.

"Riven, stop," Timmy ordered in a commanding voice and surprisingly Riven did as he was told, though he still kept his back to them. "We're not going to let you walk away from us again."

Riven tightened his jaw and clenched his teeth, but for once he wasn't trying to contain his anger. Quite the opposite. All his life he had wanted family that wouldn't leave him, and ironically, when he had found friends who cared for like the family he never had _he_ had been the one who had walked away from it all. Maybe it was something in his genetics. Forcing his emotions under control, Riven schooled his expression and turned to regard his friends through the gloom. "Alright, I'm listening."

"Thank you," Timmy sighed. This was going to be hard enough without Riven fighting the very step of the way. "Anyway, I was reading up on witchcraft and mind control and I – "

"You just happened to be reading up on witchcraft and mind control?" Riven questioned skeptically.

"Yeah, Dominique kind of pointed me in that direction."

"Nosey bitch."

"Riven, stay focused," Timmy begged. Riven remained silent as Timmy explained everything he had discovered in the pages of the _Ipswich Index_, the symptoms of _Darkconus Syndrome_ and why he believe Riven might be suffering from it. Riven didn't say a word as he spoke, choosing to stare at the ground while he mentally ticked off everything Timmy said, and unfortunately he could see that Timmy's line of thinking matched up with how he had been feeling till recently.

"So how do you prove this?" Riven asked, trying to keep his voice even.

"Well, I was talking with Javelin and he thinks that we could use Rouge as a kind of guinea pig. If she improves with the treatment, then we'll probably have to get Saladin to have a little look around your head."

"You say that like it's a normal thing," Riven growled.

"Don't you want to get better?" Timmy asked.

"I dunno, I just don't like the idea of someone ferreting through my head."

"Why not? You let Darcy do it," Brandon reminded him with a grin. Both Riven and Timmy glared at him. "Too soon for jokes? That's good to know man. That's good to know."

Timmy rolled his eyes and then turned his attention back to Riven. "We're not forcing you into anything. We just want you to get better. I mean, you haven't really been taking care of yourself over the last year."

"Yeah, yeah. I know," Riven said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know, I think I'm gonna take a walk."

"You want company?" Brandon asked.

"Nah, I'll be right. You guys try and get some sleep. I'll catch ya later," Riven said, heading for the door. Timmy frowned as he watched his friend leave. Even through Riven as no longer sided with the Trix, Timmy could tell that he was still keeping his walls up and who knew how long it would be before he let them down again.

The second Riven stepped out of the room he almost ran head long into Musa. The musical fairy had been leaning against the wall right next to the open door, her face lost in deep thought so he hadn't heard him coming till he was right on top of her. Both teenagers jumped at stared at one another in surprise.

"Hey," Musa managed to choke out, her cheeks flushing red. She usually never got caught out eavesdropping, but she had been so lost in thought that she hadn't even heard him coming.

"Hey," he replied awkwardly. The last time he had talked to her, she had ended up kneeing him in the groin so he was still a bit hesitant around her. Plus, it didn't help that he knew he liked her and that he had messed up any chance to be with her.

"Hey," Musa said again, which just increased the awkward moment.

His heart pounding in his ears, Riven tried desperately to think of something to say to her, but every time those navy eyes of hers lock with his violet ones, his mind would go blank and he couldn't think of anything remotely intelligent to say. And his guilt he had built up inside of him for the way he had been treating her didn't help. Finally he opted for the one thing he always did when things got emotionally awkward; he bolted. "Well, see ya."

"Later," she said, just as eager to get away from the uncomfortable meeting, but she had traveled half way back to her dorm when she suddenly changed her mind and went back the way she had just came.

Musa found Riven sitting alone on the steps in the quad. The only other people outside at this time of night were the students that were put on sentry duty this hour who were to keep watch for another attack while the other students tried to get some sleep. Musa could see that the lights to Ms. Faragonda's office was still on, indicating that the meeting she was having with the other teachers hadn't finished yet. Musa was just about to make her way over to where Riven sat when she suddenly lost her nerve, but by then it was too late.

"What do you want, Musa?" Riven asked in a detached tone of voice without looking around.

"Er . . . I . . ." Musa stuttered before forcing herself to pull it together. He was just a guy. She could handle this. She didn't even like him so why was she letting him have this affect on her? "I was just making sure you were alright."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because of what Timmy said about Darcy spelling you."

Riven snorted a laugh. "Eavesdropping isn't very good manners."

"Like you're one to talk about manners," Musa shot back, before timidly making her way over to sit next to him. Riven refused to look at her, but the very smell of her perfume was enough to make the palms of his hands start sweating. "You gonna be okay?"

Riven was silent for a moment as he tried to work out how he was going to answer that. Finally, he shrugged. "I guess."

Pity swelled inside of Musa, but she didn't dare tell him that. The last thing he wanted – both now and any other time – was pity. Hesitantly, she reached over and placed her hand on his arm. Riven jumped at the contact and finally looked at her. Musa smiled softly at him, unconscious rubbing her fingers over his arm. "You're not on your own. You're our friend, and friends forgive each other."

Riven's mouth went dry at her words. He knew that she was referring to the Winx Club as well as his friends, but he still had a hard time believing it. The bottom line was that he didn't deserve their forgiveness, whither he was spelled or not. And it didn't really matter if they did forgive him. It was going to take a long time for him to forgive himself. Before he could tell her that, a high pitched wail filled the air followed by one of the Red Fountain student's shouting, "The Army of Decay is approaching Alfea!"

An animal like growl came from deep within Riven's throat as he quickly got to his feet and extended his saber, and Musa stood alongside him. Dark forms filled the sky, and they could hear the movement of a large force marching towards them. The halls of Alfea were suddenly a buzz with movement as students scrambled from the beds and rushed outside. The Winx Club burst out of one of the doors and after one quick glance at Riven, Musa joined them and seconds later Riven was joined by Timmy and Brandon.

"Well, so much for a nice, relaxing night," Brandon grumbled as he pulled out his broadsword.

"What are you talking about? This is more fun," Riven grinned as he tightened his grip on his hilt. Seconds later, the Army of Decay broke through Alfea's walls and descended on the students waiting for them.

* * *

Sky brushed the dry leaf litter into a tighter pile before he pulled out his flint and struck it with his phantom blade. Sparks flew into the leaves but none of them caught. Striking the flint again, Sky showered the leaves in another rain of sparks and this time one of them lingered on one of the dry leaves. It smoked for a second, and then grew into a tiny flame. As the rest of the pile caught fire, Sky feed smaller sticks into it to make it bigger and before long he had a warm fire going, but he had his doubts that Bloom even felt it. 

She had been extremely quiet as they walked. In fact, the most she had talked since she thought she had heard someone calling out to her was when they had debated stopping for the night, Sky for, Bloom against. Now they both sat on either side of the fire, not speaking. All they did was stare at the flames.

"I have a bad feeling," Bloom said after a while. "I don't think we should stop."

"Bad feeling or not we've been through a lot today, Bloom," he reminded her as he prodded the fire with a stick. "We need to get some sleep."

"I can't sleep. I'm too worried right now to relax."

A soft smile brushed over Sky's lips. It really was amazing just how much she cared about her friends. "I remember my first mission as a scout. It was in ashen gorge and I couldn't sleep. Not even a wink."

"So what did you do?"

"I just close my eyes and thought of home."

"Yeah well, that's easy for you to do. You know where your home is," Bloom said sadly, and Sky suddenly realized just how much her life had changed over the last year. First she discovered that she had magic, then she discovered that her parents weren't her biological parents and then finally she discovered she was the princess of a destroyed civilization. In the space of a few months her entire life had been changed. Even the truth about him and Brandon swapping identities had nothing on what she had been through.

"So do you," Sky told her as he got comfortable for the night. "Bloom, nothing you found out changes where you come from. While you're the last princess of Sprax you're also that down to earth girl from Gardenia and that's a great thing."

Bloom had lain down by the fire, trying to get comfortable so that she might be able to get some sleep. But her mind kept working. "Sky?"

"What is it?"

Sky sat up slightly and waited for an answer and even when she spoke he didn't get an answer. "Nothing."

Sky contemplated pushing the subject, but he decided to just let her try to get some sleep. Truth was that he was also feeling too worried to sleep. He was worried about his friends back at Alfea. He was worried about what would happen if they didn't stop the Trix here. He was worried that they might move to Eraklyon next. He was worried about what he was going to do next year if they succeed in beating the Trix since it still wasn't confirmed whither they'd be able to rebuild Red Fountain.

Wrapping his arms around him and tried to drop off to sleep, but all the while he still had that sinking feeling in his chest telling him that something wasn't right.

* * *

"God dammit! This isn't right!" Brandon complained loudly, stamping his foot on the ground like a pouting child. "Every time we destroy one of these things they just come right back! It's so rude!" 

Riven regarded his friend blankly. "Do you want to go over there and talk it out with them?"

"No. I'm going to go over there and stabbed that ugly monster right in the face!"

Riven barked a laugh. "Now that my kind of confrontation."

Brandon gave him a sideways smirk before turning back to the rot monsters. "Let's show these things what's up," he suggested and Riven was more than happy to comply. The pair charged and skillfully cut into the monsters chest and seconds later it healed itself injuries. "Oh, come on!"

While Brandon silently fumed, Riven racked his brain for a way to take this enemy down. "Hey, remember that move from double duel class?"

"I sure do Riven," Brandon said, swapping his broadsword for his saber. "I'll lead, you follow," Brandon commanded with a twirl of his saber and Riven surprisingly didn't argue as Brandon jumped onto the shoulder of the monster and cut its throat. When Brandon had leapt clear of the monster Riven followed through with a high kick to its head and decapitated it.

"That oughta keep him down," Riven growled as he tried to ignore the throbbing pain in his right leg.

"Then why's he getting up?"

"Maybe he's just being rude," Riven shrugged.

"That bastard."

"Still, it's better than end of year exams."

"You are such a high school student," Brandon grinned.

A confused look crossed Riven's face. "Well duh."

"Oh come on, I was trying to be funny," Brandon laughed as he sliced through the stomach of one of the rot monsters. Hundreds to tiny bugs spilled onto the ground before rushing back into the feet on the monster he had just attacked. Not far from him, a stingray swooped in and grabbed Kane by his cape and picked him up a few feet before dropping him. Riven instantly burst out laughing.

"Now that's funny," Riven grinned, cutting through the knees of one of the rot monsters.

Brandon rolled his eyes and dodged the massive fist of one of the headless monster.

"Someone do something about those flying stingrays!"

Timmy, who was fighting not far from him, heard Brandon suggestion and traded his saffron sword for his gun. "I'm on it. A couple of zaps from my bee kicker blast oughta do the trick."

Taking aim, Timmy shot right into a group of swooping stingrays and manage to either shot down or deflect them, save one. Dropping to the ground, Timmy accidentally let go of his gun as the stingray swooped down at him. Timmy looked up to find him self defenseless, covered in dirt and completely vulnerable to the stingray that had swung back around for another shot at him.

"Watch out Timmy!" Toby shouted from his place wrangling a rot monster. But there was no time for Timmy to move to get his gun, so he simply covered himself and waited for the stingray to hit him. But the only thing that did was a blast of green light and when he looked up he saw that that green light had come from Tecna who was in her full winx form.

"Don't worry," she smiled sweetly. "I've got your back, Timmy."

"And I've got yours," Timmy grinned back, running over and making a dive for his gun. Rolling onto his back, Timmy quickly took aim at one of the stingrays and fired at it at the same time that Tecna did. The two energy blasts caused the monster to explode into a shower of smaller bugs.

"Not bad, huh?" Tecna said with a note of pride in her voice, but she didn't wait for an answer and instead moved right on fighting. Timmy followed suit as the first pale raise of sunlight began to creep over the edge of the horizon.

"We've been fighting all night and we're still not getting anywhere," Brandon complained to Timmy as they teamed up to bring down one of the rot monsters. Timmy shot out its feet and Brandon used its distraction to slice open its chest.

"Well, complaining about it to me isn't going to do anything," Timmy said as he watched the monster he had just attacked dissolve itself down before rebuilding itself.

Brandon gritted his teeth in frustration at his failed attempted to keep the monster down. This was just getting ridiculous. He was willing to stay up all night fighting for his life but at the very least could he fight an enemy that stayed defeated? Was that to much to ask? Finally losing his temper and all reason, Brandon stamped his foot and shouted, "Would you just go already?!"

To everyone's surprise, all the monsters froze in their attack, and then dissolved back into the ground. With a wail, the flying stingrays retreated and when the rot monsters reformed themselves outside of Alfea's walls, they too began the march back to Cloud Tower.

"Wow," Lex gasped it awe at Brandon. "You should have done that earlier."

"I don't think they were listening to me," Brandon admitted while Riven took Lex's short staff of him and hit the shorter student over the head with it. "I think the Trix are still playing with us."

In the sudden stillness, no one felt the warmth of the sun as it climbed higher into the sky.

* * *

The fire was out when Sky blinked the sleep out of his eyes. Somehow he had managed to fall asleep last night, but it didn't make him feel any more refreshed. He was still worried about his friends and he knew that the only way he was going to relax any time soon was if they got to Magix and for transport to get them to Alfea as fast as possible. Getting to his feet with a yawn, Sky moved over to where Bloom was lying. This was the first time he had ever seen her while she was asleep, and she looked so adorable that Sky was reluctant to wake her. Duty won out over his desire to watch her sleep, though, so he crouched down and tapped her gently. 

"Hey Bloom, wake up," he said softly. Bloom gasped as she jerked away and quickly scrambled to her feet, her blue eyes wide with alarm. But they quickly relaxed when she saw that nothing was wrong. "We should go."

"I didn't mean to crash like that," Bloom apologized. "Wow, how long did we sleep?"

"Only a couple of hours, I think," Sky said as the two of them started walking again. Their feet were killing them, but neither of them complained. They needed to get to Alfea as fast as possible and that meant walking to Magix. "With the sky the way it is, it's hard to tell whither it's night or day."

"It's not like it really matters," Bloom shrugged, her eyes downcast. Sky made several attempts to lighten the conversation as they walked, but Bloom was stuck in her mood and Sky couldn't think of any way to break her out of it. Finally, he just settled on walking in silence. He was just in the middle of trying to calculate just how much further it was to Magix when Bloom suddenly latched onto his arm and almost made he jump out of his skin.

"Huh? Okay, don't tell me you didn't hear that," Bloom said, her nails digging into his arm, but Sky didn't notice. He was still feeling jumpy from her sudden attachment.

"What?" he gasped, but he knew she was referring to those voices she had heard yesterday.

"It's Daphne. She's calling me," Bloom said, running back a bit.

"Who's Daphne?" Sky asked.

"She's my big sister. At least, she was before Sparx was destroyed," Bloom explained. "She's been in my dreams all year, and now I can hear her voice calling out to me. It's her. It's Daphne, Sky."

"Er, are you sure?"

"I dunno. It sounds like her," Bloom told him as he walked over to her. "She's telling me to go find her. But where could she be? I mean, she . . . I . . . How?"

"I don't know, Bloom," Sky said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "We don't even know if it really is her. For all we know it could be another one of the Trix's tricks. They'd know about Daphne too, you know."

"I hadn't thought of that," Bloom admitted before turned and continuing on her way to Magix. "Come on. Let's go."

* * *

All the students at Alfea were exhausted, but barely any of them had moved out of the quad since the Army of Decay's sudden withdrawal. Most were worried of another sneak attack, so they spent their time resting outside since they wouldn't have been able to find any sleep anyway. Most of the Red Fountain sophomores had gotten comfortable and were watching their new favorite comedy; Lex trying hitting on Dominique. The witch would listen to his advances as long as he kept flattering her, but he'd eventually stuff it up and she teleport him to various locations which his friends found to be hilarious. 

Brandon, however, had gotten bored with watching Lex make a fool of himself and had gone of in search of Stella. He found her sitting against a wall, soaking up the weak sunlight that managed to break through the dark clouds. She was still in her winx form and Brandon felt his mouth go dry at her exposed legs.

"Well hello there," Stella smiled sweetly.

"Hey," Brandon grinned back. "Mind if I take a seat?"

"Not at all," she told him as he sat down next to her. All around them, students were wasting time and Brandon could hear two freshmen's exchanging tips to help improve their swordsmanship. "Everyone's wiped and whipped," Stella noted almost sadly. "I don't think we'd be able to survive another attack."

Brandon tried to be optimistic, but he was so tried that he only had energy for the truth. "You're probably right so that means this could be it."

Stella's honey eyes went wide as she stared at Brandon in horror. "Oh Brandon . . ."

Brandon forced a confident smile as he turned to look at her. He didn't mean to scare her. "Whatever happens I'll protect you."

Stella smiled playfully as she leaned closer to him. "More likely it'll be me who protects you, page boy."

Brandon _humpf_ed and looked away from her. He knew that she had meant it to be a joke, but it still stung. He had spent the last few days having Justin bully him over his rank, so he didn't need her doing it to him. "I'm not going to be a squire forever you know."

"You mean you might climb the ladder and become a knight or maybe even a man at arms?" Stella asked, and Brandon's hopes sunk. Even though she had said that she didn't mind dating someone with rank beneath her, her comment right then made it pretty clear that she wasn't willing to be with a squire forever.

"Yeah."

Stella must have heard the hurt in his voice, because she moved over to him and took his hand in hers. "Seriously Brandon, you think that thing matters to me?" she asked as she lifted his hand to press it next to her cheek. "My parents are the king and queen of Solaria and look how great their relationship is."

Brandon knew all about her parents marital situation, and although he was amazed at her sudden tenderness and honestly, he was also touched by it. But before he could respond to her, the couple was suddenly made aware of the fact that they had an audience.

"Aww," Musa gushed as Stella and Brandon looked up to see her, Flora and Tecna hovering in front of them. "Isn't that sweet? Nothing like a little end of the world romance."

"Ignore her," Flora told the couple, smiling sweetly. "You guys are so cute together."

"Musa. Don't you think you should get some rest?" Stella asked, a slight twinkle in her eye. Seconds later, a pillow materialized out of thin air and flew straight into Musa's face with such force that it knocked her out of the air and crashed to the ground.

"That's fighting with magic!" Musa complained loudly as the others tried to fight back the urge to laughing out loud. "It's against the rules."

It was at that point that Brandon could hold back his amusement. "Ha! You sound like Griselda!"

"No snide comments please. Only I can torment my friends," Stella told him matter-of-factly, but her mood quickly changed to a more sullen one when her thoughts reminded her of Bloom. "And speaking of friends I wish Bloom was here."

The rest of the Winx Club seemed to share her sad thoughts as they dropped out of the air. Brandon also shared their concern, but he forced a positive attitude as he reached over to place his hand on Stella's bare shoulder. "She'll be here soon enough. I'm sure she and Sky escaped from Cloud Tower and are on their way back."

"There you are," Riven growled as he and Timmy made their way over to the group. They had just witness Lex get teleported six feet into the air only to come crashing back down again when Javelin had told them to go round everyone up since Ms. Faragonda wanted to talk to them.

"Timmy. Riven," Flora greeted pointlessly since everyone there already knew their names and didn't need to be reminded of them.

"What's the news?" Tecna asked.

"Faragonda's called an assembly," Timmy told them and Brandon and Stella quickly scrambled to their feet with a gasp.

"Relax, it's just an assembly," Riven assured them, since everyone was wearing rather unnecessary looks of shock on their faces. (1) "Now come on."

It didn't take them long to form their ranks within the quad. The Alfea fairies were at the front of the assembly since it was their school. The Red Fountain specialist were behind them, divided by the well that was in the center of the quad, and at the back were the Cloud Tower witches who had complained loudly about the arrangement, but they fell silent as Ms. Faragonda addressed them all.

"You have all fought very bravely, but this is not over. Our true test is yet to come. Fairies, witches and heroes, dig down deep and muster all your magic and power," the master fairy told them all.

Miss Griffin nodded in agreement. "If we all work together I know that we can triumph. Now, when we give the signal – "

Whatever she was going to say was suddenly cut off by a high pitched wail from the flying stingrays and a witch shouting from the back ranks, "Here they come!"

"Oh my god. Look at all of them!" Brandon exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"Least that means we don't have to share," Riven pointed out as the Army of Decay moved towards the gates of Alfea.

"Yeah, not my biggest concern at the moment, Riv. Not my biggest."

* * *

Although she never brought it to his attention, Sky knew that Bloom had kept hearing the voice that sounded like Daphne as they walked. Part of Sky wanted to believe that it really was Daphne talking to her since it meant that Bloom could at least communicate to one member of her biological family, but his logical side kept dismissing the idea. It was just too ridiculous to even fathom, but then again, Sky had seen things deemed impossible become possible, like the survival of the royal family of Sparx and Brandon getting an A in battle history. 

Still lost in his thoughts, Sky didn't notice the change in their surrounds, but Bloom did.

"Hey! Look at the sky!" she said and when Sky looked up, he saw countless flying stingrays covering the sky. The Army of Decay was on the attack again. "They're heading straight for Alfea."

"We've got to get to Magix immediately," Sky told her, and was very surprised when Bloom didn't agree with him.

"No, you go on ahead. I've got to go to Lake Crysalous right now."

Sky stared at her, his blue eyes wide. Leave her? Yeah right! And why did she need to go to Lake Crysalous? It didn't make any sense. "Bloom, what are you talking about?"

"This voice I've been hearing, maybe it's not even Daphne. Maybe it's just a voice inside of me but either way I have to listen to it. I have to go," Bloom told him as she burst into tears. But Sky could tell that there was no arguing with her. She was going to go to Lake Crysalous, with or without him.

"Fine. Well then I'm coming with you."

"No Sky. I have to do this alone," Bloom said, and again Sky got the feeling that it wasn't something he was going to be allowed to argue. "Please understand."

"Alright," Sky gave in, but he was at least going to lay down a few conditions. "Just meet me in Magix in two hours. If you not there I'm coming to find you, okay?"

"Okay," Bloom assured him as she walked away in the direction of Lake Crysalous. With a sigh, Sky turned and continued towards Magix. Bloom may have had to have gone to Lake Crysalous on her own, but that didn't mean Sky had to like it.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Timmy shouted at Riven, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. Alfea was once again completely overrun with rot monsters and everyone was trying to come up with a way to gain some kind of advantage over them. 

"Timmy, would I ever purposely put you in danger?" Riven asked as he chopped through one of the monsters leg. Suddenly memories of him joyriding in the squad ship and everything he had done during the Day of the Royals filled Riven's mind. "Actually, on second thoughts, don't answer that. Just stand there and do what I told you."

"Okay," Timmy said nervously. The rot monster loomed over him, but still he made no move.

"Look out!" one of the witches fighting near by warned him, but Timmy ignored her counsel, though his confidence did waver slightly.

"Hold steady, Timmy," Riven said, gearing himself up for the task that was at hand. His leg was still hurting and that monster was very tall. Still there was no going back at this point. "Now!"

Timmy jumped clear of the massive fist that punched the ground where he once stood. His sword in hand, Timmy swung around to cut through the monsters knees while Riven would attack the upper body. (2) "Do your stuff, Riven!"

Riven bolted forward and did as massive vertical jump to slice and dice the monster in the chest while Timmy cut its knees. The pressure from the double attack caused the monster to instantly designate, but it didn't start to regroup itself as fast as it normally did. Smirking widely, Riven stood at full height to regard Dominique. "Beat that."

While there wasn't a single student there who didn't realize that gravity of the situation, the cockiness of some students and the rivalry that existed between the schools still boiled under the surface. And since fighting the rot monster – though still dangerous – was rather repetitive, several of the teenagers had made a game out of trying to best one another in battle. Dominique flicked her hair over her shoulder as she tried to think of a way to better Timmy and Riven's tag team attack.

"May I?" she asked Timmy but she took his saffron sword off of him before he had a chance to respond. Pushing her super speed to the limit, Dominique dashed through a group of rot monsters and in the space of fifteen seconds, had reduced six of the monsters back into mulch. "That's forty-two for me and you boys only have twenty-nine between you."

"No fair, you have powers," Riven pointed out.

"Oh boohoo."

"Guys! Try to focus!" Brandon scolded, though he was temped to tell them that he was currently on seventeen. Seconds after he had just told his friends off for not paying enough attention, a flying stingray swooped in from behind and knocked him to the ground. Growling, Brandon scrambled to his feet and bolted after it. _No one_ made him looked like a fool except himself. "Get back here!"

Grabbing it by its 'tails', Brandon pulled himself onto the monsters back. The stingray flew higher into the air, but Brandon ignored the growing distance between him and the ground and pulled out his broadsword. Extending to full length, Brandon thrust it right through the center of the monsters back before leaping to the ground as the monster dissolved. The drop was a bit bigger than he was expecting, but though his feet were throbbing he still stood tall with a proud smirk on his face.

"Not bad, ay?" he grinned at Timmy who had his gun out since Dominique hadn't returned his sword.

"Yeah. I'll give you a ten for originality, eight for style and one for risk assessment," Timmy marked.

"Ha! I like that result," Brandon laughed as he swung around to stab a monster that had tried to sneak up behind him. Further away, one of the tank-like headless monsters started climbing one of Alfea's towers and reduced it to rubble in a manner of seconds. "Looks like Red Fountain won't be the only school with a damage bill."

"Gods, this is getting ridiculous," Riven growled. "Are there no end to these things?"

"I thought you were enjoying your little game," Brandon said.

"I'm getting sick of it."

"Only cause your not winning," Timmy pointed out to him as Dominique teleported one of the monsters into the sky and let it drop back to the ground with a massive splat.

"Hey! If I had magic . . ." Riven started but trailed off when a giant orange bubble suddenly surrounded Alfea. "What's going on?"

"It's the fairies and the witches," Timmy said as he watched all the girls give their power over to help aid Ms. Faragonda and Miss Griffin's attack. All the fighting stopped as the monsters seemed to go into some kind of spasm before exploding into their rot forms and vanishing into the soil beneath them.

No one dared break the sudden silence that descended onto Alfea. Everything was still as everyone tried to work out if the Army of Decay really were gone. Finally, the loud voice of Princess Stella shattered the silence and the rest of the school quickly followed with cheers of their own. "They're gone! They're so totally gone!"

"Yes," Ms. Faragonda agreed as soon as the noise died down a bit. "But I'm afraid it won't be for good. As long as Icy, Darcy and Stormy survive the Army of Decay will return. All of you get something to eat and try to get as much rest as you can. This isn't over."

* * *

'I shouldn't have let her go alone,' Sky thought to himself as he continued on his way to Magix. He had left Bloom about forty minutes ago and he estimated that in that time he had second guessed his decision to leave her about two thousand times. 

'As if she would have let me do it any other way,' another part of him argued.

'But it's my duty to protect her. I should have put up more of a fight.'

'If I did that all I'd succeed in doing is to waste more time. Bloom said she needed to go to Lake Crysalous and that it was something she had to do alone. She had to do it and there was nothing I could do to change her mind.'

Still debating with himself, Sky didn't notice that he had made it to Magix until he was virtually right in front of the gates. 'Oh, thanks gods,' he thought to himself, but his delight faded as he walked through the empty streets of Magix.

"What's going on here? Where is everybody?" Sky said aloud, but he got no reply. The city of Magix was completely deserted. "This can't be possible. Is anybody here?!"

But the only reply he got was his own voice echoing back at him.

* * *

_(1) I never understood why they all looked so shocked there _

_(2) Timmy wasn't originally in that attack but I couldn't think of any other reason why Timmy would have to stand there_

_TBC_


	25. The Great Witch Invasion

**Chapter Twenty-Five – The Great Witch Invasion**

Riven felt uneasy.

Actually, uneasy was probably a massive understatement for how he felt, but he didn't think they had invented a word yet to describe it. Over the last year he had been exposed to high levels of paranoia and anxiety thanks to what he now knew to be a byproduct of Darcy messing around with his head, but it had nothing on how he was currently feeling. He had spent the last hour or so talking with Javelin who convinced him to let Saladin to have a look into his mind. Riven thought he had experienced his fair share of odd circumstances, but feeling someone shift through your memories definitely ranking high on the strange-o-meter. Saladin had shown him how to block him out of private memories so at least Riven didn't feel too violated, but the headmaster had confirmed that he had indeed been spelled by Darcy which would explain for his sudden change in behaviour.

Riven couldn't remember any other time when he had felt more used. He had always been hesitant in trust people – especially females – since his mother deserted him as a child and he knew that by keeping his defenses constantly up he hurt himself from time to time. He thought that with Darcy he had managed to over come that. Boy did that end up to be wrong.

After he had left Saladin and Javelin, Riven had avoided Brandon and Timmy to the best of his ability. He knew that they wanted to find out what the teachers had found and frankly Riven didn't want to go through explaining it to them. Instead, he had ducked away to a secluded part of the school and smoked all that was left of his smokes to try and calm his nerves, but even when he had emptied the pack he still felt agitated.

That would explain why he was currently pacing, but what he could answer why he had chosen to pace below what he knew to be the window to the dorm of the Winx Club. The thought of wanting the speak with Musa had crossed his mind since her proximity had been rather relaxing the other night before the Army of Decay attacked them, but what was he going to say? He couldn't think of anything important to say to her. Hell, he still wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to be on speaking terms with him. The entire idea of wanting to see her was ludicrous . . .

. . . and yet he still continues to pace.

"You can stop pouting now, Riven!" Stella's annoyingly cheery voice suddenly shattered his thoughts as she called down to him from the balcony. But what was even more irritating was that it sounded extremely smug for some reason. "She's coming down!"

Riven suddenly felt somewhat embarrassed and tried to pass it off by playing it dumb. "Uh, who?"

Stella's smug smile, however, seemed to state that she wasn't buying it.

"Oh gods," Riven sighed to himself as he ran a nervous hand through his hair. What the hell was he doing? He had absolutely nothing to say to Musa so why the hell did he want to see her so badly. She didn't want to talk to him. He had ignored her pleas for help and thrown her to the witches' mercy that day in Magix. He had helped in trying to destroy her friend. He had no right to talk to her even if she did want to speak with him.

Riven was just contemplating bolting for it when Musa suddenly appeared out of one of the doorways. She was dressed in her regular baggy jeans, scuffed joggers and off the shoulder red top with her hair pulled up in her trade mark pig tails, and Riven couldn't remember ever seeing anyone look more breathtaking. Even Darcy when she was all done up with her tight fitting clothes and skillfully put on make-up had nothing on the fairy.

"Oh, hey, Riven," Musa greeted causally.

There were thousands upon thousands of ways the Riven could have responded to that. He didn't even have to respond to it at all if he wanted to. No question was put to him so he could have decided the topic of conversation. He could have complemented her on her fighting skills since he had been watching her during the attacks and not just because she wore that fantastic skirt of hers. He could have thanked her for trying to comfort him the other night when Timmy had first told him of the possibility of Darcy spelling him. He could have mentioned something as general as the weather if he wanted to. Or he could have said the one thing he really wanted to say to her, which was 'I'm sorry'.

Instead, Riven ignored all those options and said the one thing he had been trying to deny – both to himself and everyone else – all year and something he was willing to go through pain of torture than admit to anyone, let alone her.

"Oh, um, listen, they don't really teach this in Heroics school but, I-gotta-say-I-really-like-you-so-bye!"

Riven didn't want around for her to even digest what he had just said let alone respond to it. He had done some stupid stuff over the years but he could never remember feeling so embarrassed before. His cheeks burning and his stomach feeling uneasy, Riven bolted through Alfea till he got to the opposite side and leaned gasping for air up against one of the stone walls. All his endurance and speed had gone out of his running recently. Ah, spot the smoker.

"Idiot!" Riven cursed himself, slamming his head against the stone wall behind him with such force that he saw sparks on the edge of his vision. What was he thinking telling her that? How did he think she's respond? She'd just forget everything he had done to her over the last year and run willingly into his arms? Yeah right. He wasn't like Brandon and Sky who could walk away from a mess and remain all squeaky clean. Riven knew people didn't view him like that. People always expected him to ruin everything so they were never really willing to forgive him since it would only be a matter of time before he stuffed up again. He was just one massive screw up who didn't deserve forgiveness.

Riven hit his head again and this time he made himself feel dizzy. Stumbling to keep his balance, Riven right leg suddenly cramped from the injury he had received mid way through the year and blinded him mind with agonizing pain. Leaning against the wall again to support himself, Riven rub his aching leg as he hissed through his teeth. Slowly the pain faded, but a fraction of it still remained in his leg.

Even if they did defeat the Army of Decay and survive into the next year, Riven knew that neither himself nor his body would forgive him anytime soon.

* * *

The Magix that Sky knew was busy, overpopulated and rather nosey. Every time he went there the streets had been packed with people going from one place to the next with seemingly important pace. It was impossible to walk so much as ten meters without bumping into or having to change your rout to avoid someone. Even Eraklyon's capital city was no where near as busy as Magix and it was like that twenty-four hours a day.

But the Magix that Sky was walking through now was nothing like it normally was. In fact, it was the exact opposite. The streets were empty, the shops were deserted and it was eerily quiet. And it was giving Sky the major creeps.

"Hello?!" Sky shouted and he felt his skin crawl as his voice bounced off the surrounding buildings to echo through the silent streets. "Is anybody here?!" and again it echoed. "If you're hiding, I'm one of the good guys!"

'What happened here?' Sky thought to himself as he looked around to see if he could spot someone. Then something caught his eye.

"What the . . ?" he said aloud, straining his eyes to see better, but when he did, his blood went cold. It looked like it was a person, except it was encased in a cocoon of rot. "Oh no, what have those witches done to these people? Anybody?! Anybody?!"

He wasn't really expecting a reply, so he was a tad alarmed when he did actually hear something. And whatever it was, it didn't sound friendly. "What was that?! Who's there?! Hello?"

But still no one answered him. Sky shifted uncomfortably as he tried to find the source of the nose. "I can't believe that – " he started, but he stopped mid sentence when he turned and saw a rot monster approaching him from behind. Jumping back quickly, Sky extended his sword and ducked under the monsters massive pinchers as they made a swipe at him.

Crouching into an attack stance, Sky moved in to meet the monster head on but the rot monster was ready for him and with one strike managed to disarm the prince. His sword fell to the ground and retracted itself.

'Uh oh,' Sky thought to himself for a second and them quickly made a jump for his phantom blade and grabbed it by the hilt. Rolling over onto his butt, Sky extended his blade again and extended it. The monster moved in and tried to smash him with its fist, but Sky was able to flip backwards out of the way. The monster left a massive hole in the ground exactly where Sky had been sitting a few seconds earlier. Sky swallowed hard but then quickly cleared his mind of all fear.

"Alright, come on! I'm not afraid of a little slug!" he challenged, gripping his sword tightly. The monsters red eyes flashed as hundreds of little decay bugs rushed into its feet, allowing it to swell to a massive height. "Uh oh. Boy, I had to say little."

As the monster loomed over him, it shape shifted on of its pincer arms to become a blade to match Sky's, and the prince couldn't help but cry out in alarm. That just wasn't natural, but then again nothing about this ordeal was. The monster raised its weapon arm and brought it down on Sky sword with a crushing force and he felt his knees start to buckle under such pressure. But he struggled to stand his ground.

It was either that or die.

* * *

"This is getting ridiculous," Brandon grumbled as he and Timmy walked aimlessly through the quad. All around them people were trying to take their minds off things by finding some way to distract themselves. Dave and Kane were sharpening their weapons, Bourne was trying to pick up a little red head and even Saladin and Codatorta were passing the time by playing a board game. "Where the hell is Sky? He should have been back yesterday!"

"Maybe they're stuck in traffic?" Timmy shrugged, but even he didn't believe that. Brandon didn't even bother to reply to that and simply glared at his friend in an un-amused expression. "Maybe we should go check with the scouts to see if they've seen any sign of them?"

Alfea and Cloud Tower had recruited their fastest students to act as scouts for the Army of Decay. Every hour, a few of them would fly out and see what they could and then dash back as fast as possible. Naturally, Dominique had been selected and she had kept the boys updated with everything she had found. Which, to date, was nothing.

"Sure, why not?" Brandon shrugged. "It's not like we can do anything else."

The fastest way to find Dominique was to find Lex, since the witch had a twisted connection to the little specialist. As a girl, she could never get enough of someone worshipping her and as a witch she could never get enough of tormenting people. Lex proved her with both and no matter how horrible she was to him, he'd always return for more.

Brandon and Timmy found Lex sitting against the wall with Riven, Toby and the boy Sally. Toby and Sally were talking quietly as they wait for another episode of Lex hits on Dominique to start and Riven and Lex were enjoying a smoke. Brandon instantly frowned and crossed his arms in front of him. "Riven, is that a cigarette you're smoking?"

"No. It's a chicken," Riven answered with a completely straight face (1).

Brandon continued to look at his friend disapprovingly. "You really shouldn't smoke."

Riven rolled his eyes and breathed smoke out of his nostrils. "I know, man. I know. But you can't expect me to quit now with all this going on now can you? Things are hard enough without adding withdrawal symptoms into the mix. I mean, you saw how I was at Cloud Tower. I was crawling out of my skull."

"Yeah, I guess," Brandon gave in as Riven took one last drag and crushed the butt into the ground. "Is Dom out on another scouting mission?"

"Nah, didn't ya hear? Faragonda cancelled all the scouting missions since she got the feeling it was getting too dangerous," Lex explained, also finishing his smoke.

"What? What is she thinking? The point of having scouts is so they can tell us when danger is coming! We . . . I . . . They . . . _Argh!!_" Brandon finally snapped, strangling thin air.

"Brandon, relax," Timmy ordered while the others simply stared at the squire like he had grown another head. Brandon continued to rage for a second longer before quickly composing himself.

"I'm done," he told them all evenly. "I'm just worried about Sky is all."

"Yeah, we can see that," Toby assured him. "But I know what you mean. I feel the same about Monty."

"But Monty's a dragon. If a rot monster goes up against him, my money's on Monty," Brandon said.

"Hey, Sky will be fine," Sally told them all. "I just know he is."

"You're such a girl," Lex smirked at Sally's statement and that smirk turned into a wide grinned when he finally spotted the object of obsession and he quickly got to his feet. "Now if you all excuse me, I'm going courting."

"You guys coming?" Sally grinned as he and Toby both stood to follow after Lex who was marching towards Dominique.

"Nah. You boys go ahead," Riven waved them off. "Dom's got some pretty stubborn views on smoking and I really don't feel like getting in her firing line at the moment."

"Well, it doesn't seem like Lex will do too good then, huh?" Timmy said as Toby and Sally walked off. When the three of them were alone, Timmy turned to address Riven. "So what did Saladin say?"

"Bout what?" Riven asked, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground.

"You know what," Brandon reminded him. "Did he actually find something in that thick scull of yours or was it hollow like I predicted?"

"No it's not hollow," Riven growled, still refusing to look up. "And Timmy, you were right. Darcy did spell me."

"Oh," Timmy said quietly. What else was there to say? "I'm sorry, man."

"Whatever," Riven dismissed, getting to his feet and walking away with no real destination in mind. Timmy and Brandon exchanged a look and followed after their friend. They had known that he wouldn't want to talk about it, but they weren't about to leave him alone with his dark thoughts.

"Least we know it wasn't all your fault," Brandon pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah," Riven grumbled indifferently. "So still no word on Sky?"

"Afraid not," Timmy answered, not missing the change in conversation, but he went along with it for Riven's sake. Plus he was feeling anxious about their missing friends. "I just wish I knew one way or another if Sky and Bloom were okay, you know. I keep thinking they're fine and then no, what if – "

"Dude, you've gottta relax," Riven cut in which was a bit ironic since he was even more tense. "I'm sure they're just planning a dramatic entrance."

"Yeah but what if they're not?" Brandon questioned. Denial might work for Riven, but it didn't stop Brandon from worrying.

"What if?"

"I dunno. Maybe we should go out scouting for them or something?" Brandon suggested.

"We can't," Timmy reminded him. "No one's allowed outside the gates."

"I know, but still . . ." Brandon trailed off. None of the boys had been paying much attention to where they were going, but they somehow found themselves heading directly towards the steps where the Winx Club, the witch Mirta, Knut, Bloom's pet rabbit Kiko and the duckling that followed Icy around all sat.

"What's the haps, chaps?" Musa asked them.

Riven instantly tensed at her voice as he recalled the last time they had spoken. That embarrassment was coupled with a stab of guilt as he noticed Mirta quickly averted her eyes and pale slightly at his presence. Forcing his emotions under control, Riven answered gruffly, "Why don't you tell us?"

"No one knows anything. This waiting is slowly driving me crazy," Timmy admitted.

Flora looked upwards. "The sky is so threatening."

"Tecna said that there's an eighty percent chance of – " Stella started but was cut off by a large crash of lightning. Everyone flinched, but Stella was the only one who screamed. "Ahh! A lightning striking every five minutes!"

Timmy couldn't contain a laugh as Tecna looked bashfully proud, but that quickly turned to alarm as the deep voice of the senior Frankie filled the quad. "Word from the dark forest! The nymphs have come with news!"

"Finally. Some info," Riven said as the Winx Club and the others sitting down quickly scrambled to their feet. The group joined the crowd of students that had quickly gathered at the front steps of the school so they could listen in on what the news was. Ms. Faragonda stood at the top of the stairs ready to receive the two nymphs that flew over to her.

"Welcome to Alfea," the headmistress greeted. "What news do you bring us?"

"It isn't good," one of the nymphs informed her hesitantly and a nervous wave washed through the crowd of students listening in.

"The army is taking the invisible road," the second nymph told her.

"They'll be here soon."

"And I'm afraid that's not all Ms. Faragonda."

"Icy, Darcy and Stormy are leading the charge," the first nymph announced.

"Oh no," Stella gasped. If Icy, Darcy and Stormy were leading the attack, that could only mean that they were going to attack Alfea with everything they had. The final battle was coming.

"We thought you should know," the second nymph said quietly. Ms. Faragonda's expression had gone grave, but she kept her cool and pointed inside.

"Go rest up inside," she ordered the nymphs who gladly took up her offer. It was a long flight from their home to Alfea. Ms. Faragonda composed herself and clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "This is it! Everybody to your positions! The final battle is coming to Alfea and Alfea will be ready!"

"Come on!" Timmy shouted as everyone started moving at once. Riven followed him to where the rest of the Red Fountain sophomores were gathering, but Brandon lingered behind for a second.

"Be careful," he begged to Stella once he caught her arm. The princess turned her honey eyes to lock on his brown ones, and they possessed just as much concern.

"You too, snookums, (2)" she said before standing on tippy-toes to brush her lips across his. The kiss was over far too quickly and the pair moved off to join their respected parties to get ready for the attack.

The final battle was coming, and they still had no idea how they were going to defeat their enemy.

* * *

Sky had managed to get out from under the arm of the giant rot monster, but he still hadn't figured out a way to beat it yet. Gripping his sword, Sky charged in and sliced off the monster right arm. The limb dissolved and was absorbed by the ground beneath it.

"How do you like me now?" Sky smirked, but it quickly faded as the monster re-grew his arm back which was both gross and annoying. "Great," Sky sighed, before changing his plan of attack. "Can't we just talk about this?"

The monster ignored his attempts of verbal debate and kept moving towards him. Sky slowly started to edge backwards stopped when he suddenly realized that one of the headless rot monsters was coming at him from behind.

"No," Sky gasped, realizing he was cornered. The headless monster was believe it or not even bigger than the tentacle mouthed one, and they had Sky surrounded. Sky glared at the two of them defiantly, but that turned to alarm when he noticed a third monster starts to materialize on the building behind him. "Look, I didn't mean to crash your party, I'm sure you guys just wanna rot out, maybe watch each other decompose or what have you, so I'll just be on my way."

The ground shock that the monster one the building jumped down, and the three of them started to move in on him. Sky forced himself to think bravely. Talking time was over! "Fine! If that's the way you guys want it to be! C'mon Bring it!"

But no matter how good a positive thinker you are, three massive monsters composed of rot closing in around you can dampen your hopes pretty fast. Sky tried to face it like a man, but he whole things was ridiculously depressing. He was going to leave this world via rot monster.

'I can just see my grave stone now,' Sky thought to himself as he closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. 'Crowned Prince Sky of the Royal House of Eraklyon; He was born, He live, He was composted.'

But just as he was getting ready to be turned into mulch, the air suddenly became warm and he could sense some kind of light coming from above him. Opening his eyes, Sky gasped at the magic that beamed down at him. But where did it come from?

"Hey there, tentacle mouth! Back away from the prince!" a shockingly familiar voice ordered.

'No way!' Sky thought to himself as he looked up to see Bloom in her winx form hovering in the sky surrounded by a glowing red energy that had taken on the from of a transparent dragon. An insane amount of joy and hope swelled inside Sky's chest as he stared up at her.

"Bloom! Am I glad to see you?!" Sky shouted up to her, a massive smile on his face. She did it! She really did it! She found the Dragon Fire! They had a real chance to defeat the Trix now!

"Back at you Sky, now hang on! I'm gonna get you out of there!" Bloom told him, raising her hands above her head and then lowering them again. The dragons surrounding her shifted slightly, and Bloom gathered two fire balls in her hands. With breathless ease, Bloom hit one of the tentacle monsters who was instantly incinerated. Seconds later, the headless one followed. "Nobody messes with my boyfriend!!"

"Boyfriend?" Sky repeated, a goofy smile spreading across his face. He liked the sound of that. However his joy was quickly cut shot by Bloom throwing fire balls at the last monster which was dangerously close to him. Covering his head with his arms, Sky crouched down and waited for it to be over.

That air smelled surprisingly like burnt toast when Sky uncovered his head, but the monsters and the dragon were gone. But most importantly, Bloom was still here. Slowly, she fluttered down to the ground and made her way over to him.

"Sorry I'm late," she apologized as she helped him to his feet. "You okay?"

"Yeah, but if you hadn't come along, I'd be worm food."

"C'mon, that's not true."

"So, er, what was that about nobody messes with my boyfriend?" Sky asked slyly. "Did I hear you right?"

"I just needed something to shout," Bloom blushed slightly. "Like trash talking in the heat of battle kinda thing."

"Oh yeah, I figured that's what it was," Sky said quickly.

"No big deal, just got carried away in the moment."

"Right," Sky nodded, letting go of her hand. While he knew that neither of them believed a word they had said, he couldn't help but feel kind of awkward. He had never really had any experience with 'closing the deal' with girls, as it were. Hell, his only relationship had been arranger for him. But neither he nor Bloom had the nerve to take it further. "So your powers are back."

"They never left me. I just hope it didn't realize that too late."

"Better late than never," Sky reminded her as they walked off into the city.

"I guess," Bloom shrugged, looking around the trashed city. "Where is everyone?"

"Er, well, they're . . ." Sky trailed off. He could find the words, so he simply pointed to one of the cocoons that covered the city. Bloom took one look at them and covered her mouth in horror.

"Those aren't . . ?"

"Yup."

"Are they okay?"

Sky shrugged this time. "Who knows."

"My god," Bloom whispered. "So what happened here?"

"I'm not sure but I think the rot monsters did it with their tentacles," Sky told her gravely. "It seems the witches made them more powerful than last time."

"Can these people be revived?" Bloom asked him as she took a closer look at one of the cocoons.

"I don't know, Bloom," Sky admitted.

"Stella! The girls!" Bloom suddenly exclaimed in panic. Bloom turned back around and walked over to Sky, her face murderous. "If those witches – "

"Let's not jump to any conclusions," Sky cut her off. There was no point getting all upset about something that they didn't even know had happened. If anything, their friends would be more worried about them since they were yet to return form Cloud Tower. "Let's just get back to Alfea."

With new found determination, Bloom powered up. "Leave that to me," she said and the dragon suddenly reappeared around her. "Grab on!"

Sky obeyed without question though his stomach did do a summersault when Bloom suddenly took off into the air. "Whoa!" Sky gasped as he stared down at the fast disappearing ground.

"You alright?" Bloom asked him as she flew.

"Yeah, this is just my first time traveling by winx."

"Relax, you'll love it," Bloom grinned.

"Didn't I say something like that about levi biking?"

"That's right," Bloom smirked down at him. Holding onto her for dear life, Sky closed his eyes as wished for them to get to Alfea as fast as possible. Unbeknown to them, the Army of Decay and the Trix was fast closing in on the school, ready for the final attack.

* * *

_(1) That's from the very first scene and episode the Red Dwarf_

_(2) That would be the first time she called him that_

_Okay, one more chapter to go! Thank goodness!_

_TBC one last time _


	26. Fire and Ice

_Last chapter . . . thank goodness . . ._

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Six – Fire and Ice**

Brandon breathed deep as he shifted nervously from one foot to the other. He and the other sophomores were positioned in various places around the quad with the juniors and freshmen's while the seniors and archery battalions watched the walls ready to face the Army of Decay head on. Everyone else was to wait inside the quad for the monster that would inevitably get passed their defences. They had heard the wailing of the stingrays for some time now, but were yet to get visual contact with the enemy and the suspense was killing the squire.

"Oh c'mon," he hissed, still fidgeting. "Let's just get this over with already."

"It'll start soon enough," Timmy said softly, his eyes fixed in the direction of the invisible road. He was just as eager to get this over and done with, but at the same time he was dreading the fight starting. Theoretically, they still had no way to defeat the decay monsters for good and if the Trix were leading the attack themselves this time their chances of surviving this battle deceased dramatically unless something drastic happened in the favour. In short, they were stuffed unless their luck changed.

"Everybody pay attention!" Codatorta growled. "Ms. Faragonda is now your Commander and Chief! Understood?!"

"Fairies, witches and heroes!" Ms. Faragonda addressed before the Red Fountain students could reply with a 'yes sir'. "As we face our final battle I want you to find all of your courage and all of your strength, and then take it and turn all its power on Icy Darcy and Stormy! If we have any hope of survival those three must be defeated!"

"It doesn't sound like she's too fond of those three witches," Brandon commented, hearing the venom Faragonda had in her voice when she mentioned the Trix Sisters.

"And you are?" Riven asked.

"No, but it's still weird hearing Ms. F talk like that," Brandon said casually. "I mean, she looks like an old granny or something."

"Yeah well, that's one old granny that I wouldn't want to cross," Timmy commented and no one argued with him. They had seen Ms. Faragonda's power over the last few days, and when she was paired up with Miss Griffin they made a relentless force.

"Contact!!" one of the seniors shouted and everyone tensed. "We have visual contact with the Army of Decay!!"

"Whoa!" Brandon gasped as the army came into sight. "You've got to be kidding?!"

There seemed to be no end to the massive hoards of rot monster that marched towards the gates of Alfea. A third of the ground troops were the smaller, tentacle mouthed monster, but there were still a vast number of headless monsters marching in between the ranks of smaller ones. Each step the monsters took churned up dust so the army appeared to be blanketed by a haze that made it impossible for anyone to estimate numbers. And in the sky above, the little amount of sunlight that managed to break through the clouds was blocked out by the screaming, wailing stingrays.

But it was the figures at the front of the army that chilled everyone's blood. Three, massive columns of rot loomed above the gates of Alfea, and perched upon them like a ruler seated on a throne were the three Trix Sisters.

"Oh, that is both disgusting and tacky," Riven noted, glaring at his ex.

"Not to mention a tad pretentious," Brandon added.

Both Darcy and Stormy were grinning maliciously, but Icy seemed to be putting on a rather bored façade. She regarded the force that was waiting to oppose her and her sisters, and her face became somewhat disappointed. Calmly, she ordered her army to attack in a bored sounding voice.

With a scream, the flying stingrays instantly descended onto the students and either knocked them to the ground or picked them up to drop them. Not expecting such a sudden attack, many of the students were overwhelmed by the bombardment of the flying rot monsters and fell before their attack.

"This is a good start," Brandon muttered sarcastically as he cut through one of the stingrays that managed to get past Timmy's laser gun. Ms. Faragonda and Miss Griffin quickly reacted and conjured up a magical shield that zapped anything at touched it. The flying stingrays tried to break though, but as soon as they touched the barrier they went completely limp and fell to the ground where they were absorbed back into the soil. The stingrays that were still inside the barrier were quickly blasted out of the sky by the fairies, witches and any Red Fountain student who had a gun or some kind of bow and arrow.

"Wow, that was affective," Brandon said as he stared up at the stingrays who were still trying to break through the barrier but the result was always the same.

Timmy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's just hope it holds."

Stormy stared screeching something about her being the new headmistress of Alfea and then summoned up the Dragon Fire in the form of electricity. So far the only usage of the Dragon Fire that any of them had witness had been Icy's Dragon of Frost which she had used to destroy Red Fountain and unfortunately Stormy's Dragon of Electricity wasn't any weaker. Transforming into a bolt of lightning, the dragon hit the barrier with all its force, and the headmistress's magic started to splinter.

"Make room fairies! We're moving in!" Stormy laughed as the shield crumbled and the Army of Decay moved in. The boys noticed Flora try to blast Stormy with her winx, but they never had the chance to see if it hit since the rot monster suddenly swarmed the front gate.

"Everybody attack now!" Palladium ordered, waving his elegant looking sword around and for once his students did as they were commanded. Fairies flew into the skies and witches levitated themselves up to join them. A way of magical blast, hexes and spells suddenly rained down on the Army of Decay, causing large numbers of the rot monsters to fall but there were countless others to take their place. The Red Fountain archers also helped to hold the army back, but they were quickly losing ground.

"Oh c'mon. Let 'em in already," Riven growled through clenched teeth, flexing his wrist. He had traded his sabre for his Morning Star and knife but was forced to wait with the others till the monsters broke through their defences.

"Now, now, Riven. Patience is a virtue," Brandon reminded his friend as he shifted his grip on his broadsword. Truth be told, he wanted to get into the fight as much as Riven, but orders were orders.

"I really don't think this is the place for a lesson on morals," Timmy said, shooting at a bunch of stingrays. "And I'm sure we wont had to wait very long for – "

Timmy was cut off by a sickening sound as one of the headless monsters massive fists collided with several of the Red Fountain archers. The students – one of them Bourne – were sent hurling backwards and hit the ground with a sickening hard sounding thud and all lost consciousness. (1) And the Army of Decay swarmed through the gap.

"Finally," Riven breathed as he started spinning his Morning Star. He waiting until some of the other students had dragged the unconscious archers out of the battle zone and then released his weapon, smacking one of the tentacle mouth monsters square in the face.

"Let the games begin," Brandon grinned, running forward and meeting his enemy at a dead sprint.

* * *

Sky had used various forms of transportation in the past, but the one that he disliked the most had to be fairy wings. He didn't know how the girls could stand having all that space between you and ground. He figured it must help if the wings you were using happened to be attached to you and therefore eliminate the risk of you suddenly losing your grip and plummeting to the ground, but he didn't have that luxury. All he could do was cling onto Blooms hand and try to keep his food in his stomach. 

"Look! There's Alfea!" Bloom shouted, breaking Sky's thoughts that simply kept repeating 'don't look down, don't look down'. But when he was the school for fairies, he felt nauseous again, only this time it had nothing to do with the height and speed that they were travelling at.

The front gates of Aflea were swarmed with countless rot monsters. The size of the Trix's current horde dwarfed any of the other battalions they had sent in the past, and a large bulk of them was pressed up against the front walls as they tried to burst through. Sky could see that the senior fairies, witches and heroes, along with a few of the students in the younger grades, were responsible for holding the wall while the rest were left to face the monsters that would inevitably get in. But with the Trix powering and commanding the rot monsters in person, the resistance was quickly becoming over whelmed.

"We've got to get down there!" Sky shouted over the noise of the battle that increased the closer Bloom flew.

"No! I've got to go after Icy!" Bloom told him, recalling all the tactical advice she had been give over the last few days, as well as her own personal hatred of the witch. "If we stop her then we'll win!"

"Well then, put me down and I'll help the guys defend Alfea!" Sky suggested, but instantly regretted his words as Bloom nodded and then suddenly started descending rapidly. The ground was getting closer at an alarming rate and just when Sky was certain that they were going to crash, Bloom pulled up and almost jerked Sky's arm out its socket. Letting go, Sky dropped to the ground and resisted the urge to kiss it. Instead, he looked up at the fairy hovering above him. "Go, and be careful."

"You too," Bloom smiled before taking off again. Sky's legs were still trembling from the flight, but he set off at as fast a run that his wobbly legs would allow him. The trees that surrounded Alfea acted as perfect cover from the Army of Decay, so Sky managed to creep by unnoticed. He was about to try and scale the side wall to get inside the quad, when Stormy's spoke and she sounded so close that Sky jumped.

"Having the Dragon Fire so rules," the witch and her sisters laughed from their thrones, but they suddenly stopped when a blazing light that burned more intensely than the sun appeared in the sky.

"That's not the Dragon Fire!" Bloom unmistakable voice shouted, and Sky stopped where he was in order to look up at her. The Dragon Fire was burning with full force, and the spirit of the Great Dragon surrounded her. "_This_ is the Dragon Fire!"

The spirit dragon let out a mighty roar and a massive wall of fire suddenly appeared between the Army of Decay and the school of Alfea. The students managed to jump out of the way of the sudden inferno, but the first few ranks of rot monsters that had been trying to break through the front walls were instantly incinerated.

"That's going to make getting into Alfea a little more difficult," Sky noted to himself as the students inside the walls cheered and Bloom apologized for being so late. The witches, however, looked absolutely furious at Bloom sudden appearance, though Sky couldn't help but notice that Darcy looked a tad worried.

"You think you can invade my school, mess with my friends and get away with it?" Bloom spat viscously as the witches as she gathered a ball of fire between the palms of her hands. The Great Dragon surrounded her again, giving its strength to her. "As if, witches!"

Sky couldn't deny the fact that he found watching Bloom send a hurling ball of fire at Icy very pleasurable. The top of her throne was instantly turned to cinders, and when the smoke cleared, there was no sign of the Ice Queen.

But she wasn't gone. "Stormy! Darcy! Get over here!" Icy commanded, and all looked up to see her safe and well in the sky. Her sisters quickly did as she bid. "Give me your share of the Dragon Fire! I need it to take care of this uppity pixie!"

The Winx Club chose that moment to abandon their efforts to defend Alfea and moved into the sky to aid Bloom with the Trix. Wordlessly, everyone seemed to agree that Bloom would face Icy alone, and the rest would go head to head with Darcy and Stormy. But even though their generals were distracted, the Army of Decay continued their attack on Alfea. The flames that Bloom had put between the army and the school had died slightly and the rot monsters had started to dissolve themselves into the ground only to reappear on the other side of the walls.

"I've got to get in there," Sky hissed, moving around to the side of the school. The fire hadn't moved around to that side yet, and only enough neither had the Army of Decay. If he had the time, Sky would have probably laughed at the Trix's pathetic attempt to command an army, but right now, all he could focus on was getting inside the walls to help his friends. The walls were impossibly high so it was completely out of the question to consider jumping it, even for someone as athletic as him. Luckily there were plenty of trees surrounding the school so after scaling a few branches, Sky was able to swing himself onto the lower roofs.

The heat from the fire was intense so Sky wasted no time in dropping down into the quad. He landed not far from where Lex was fighting and the short student swung around quickly, his short staff raised and ready to attack. Lex realized at the last second that Sky wasn't his enemy and tried to pull up short, but the momentum he had built up was so great that Lex ended up throwing himself head first into the ground.

"You alright man?" Sky asked, pulling out phantom blade as Lex remained in a heap on the ground.

"Er, yeah?" Lex groaned uncertainly, trying to stand. His efforts were hindered by Dominique, who came speeding out of nowhere to stand directly where he was lying.

"Take your time," she spat at Sky as she completely ignored the pleas of the boy she was standing on. "Do you realize how much your stupid friends were bugging me if I had seen you while I was scouting for the Army of Decay? If we didn't need all the help we could get I would had relocated them to the center of the Black Mud Swamp."

"Sorry. I got held up in Magix," Sky apologized.

"Well don't let it happen again," Dominique told him as if an attack from the Army of Decay was a yearly occurrence. Without another word, the witch bolted off and Lex was allowed to stand again.

Sky quickly left Lex to try and find any of his friends, hacking at any rot monster he came across as he went. Although he knew that his friends could look after themselves, he still wanted confirmation that they were alright and he found some when he spotted Riven through the mayhem of the battle.

Sensing something approaching him from behind, Sky turned around just noticed a flying stingray that had try to drive bomb him. Putting his blade out in front of him, Sky sliced directly through the center of the rot monster who exploded in a flash of yellow light.

"It didn't dissolve into smaller bugs," Sky noticed as he started to edge backwards. Did that mean that they were finally able to kill these things? Not that it really matter since the numbers of the Army of Decay were so great. One little stingray wasn't going to do much difference, but at least it was a start.

Moving further back, Sky suddenly ran into someone and without looking, he knew who it was.

"Dude, you made it," Riven growled a greeting, not stopping the swing of his morning star. He was skilled enough not to let it hit Sky by mistake. The two friends remained back to back so they could cover each other and talk at the same time. "I was getting worried about you."

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Bloom. She saved me," Sky told him without any traces of embarrassment. He didn't care that he – a Red Fountain sophomore – was saved by a freshmen fairy. He doubted there was anyone at any of the three schools in any grade that could best her now. "She's so awesome."

"She's way powerful," Riven agreed.

Sky frowned as he ran his sword through a rot monster that had tried to attack him. The monster crumbled like dried clay and didn't get back up again, but Sky was no longer interested in it. He had expected some kind of snide comment from Riven about him being saved by a girl. (2) Riven agreeable attitude didn't seem normal to him, so he decided to try and bait Riven again. "When this is over I want to take her out on a real date. I'll get her flowers and everything."

Riven would have normally responded with some comment about him being whipped, instead he said, "With that kind of power you better treat her right, know what I'm saying?" Sky frowned again, but didn't have time to dwell on it as a shadow suddenly fell over him. Riven noticed it too. "Watch out, bro."

Looking up, Sky saw the tank like headless rot monster raise its massive fist to try and crush the two closely spaced teenagers with one hit. But before it had even started to lower it, there was a flash of green and the hand of the monster slide off its arm.

'What the . . ?' Sky thought as he ran the monster through and it crumbled to the ground. But when he saw the green double beam saber, he knew the answer to his own question.

"Hey, just thought I'd give you a hand," Brandon joked as he caught the beam saber that had returned to him like a boomerang. "And that is how it's done, fellas."

"Yeah right," Riven _scoff_ed, accepting the challenge that Brandon had thrown down. "_This_ is how it's done."

Releasing his morning star, Riven managed to wrap it around the body of one of the flying stingrays. Pulling the cord that connected him to the orb in just the right angle, Riven managed to send the lassoed stingray crashing into one of the tentacle mouthed monsters. The two rot monsters crumbled into to pieces at the impact and Riven smirked smugly as he retrieved his morning star.

"Yeah, not bad," Sky shrugged indifferently. He wasn't one to ignore a challenge either. "But trying beating this."

Pulling out his boomerang, Sky sent it flying directly into a group of stingrays and seconds later, three yellow blasts of light filled the space where the stingrays had been. The boomerang then arced down, sliced the heads off of five tentacle monsters and then ripped through the chest of one of the headless ones before returning to the boy who had thrown it.

"Are you kidding me?" Riven growled as he ran his saber through a rot monsters stomach. "All you did was throw that bent stick of yours! Mine still wins!"

"No way! I took out nine monsters in one go!" Sky argued while he took on a rot monster of his own.

"So? You had no style!"

"What? As if that had anything to do with it! It's about being effective!"

"No, it's about both!"

"Well, in that case, I win!" Brandon said as he stabbed the under belly of a stingray as it flew over him.

"You?" Riven and Sky demanded in unison.

"Yes! Not only did a managed to throw my saber _and_ make it return to me, but I also managed to effectively save the two of you. Both effective and stylish," Brandon told them.

"All you did was cut off a hand," Riven reminded him. "Sky had to finish it off the rest of it."

"Uh huh. Are you going to keep complaining or are you going to do something about that stingray?" Brandon asked casually.

"What?" Riven said stupidly. Looking back over his shoulder, Riven's violet eyes widen as a stingray swooped down out of the sky and aimed directly at his head. He didn't have enough time to counter with his morning star, and his knife really wasn't long enough to block the monster completely. Bracing himself for impact, Riven thrust his knife out in front of him and waited for the stingray to dive bomb him. But before it came, a small bullet of energy ripped through the monster, making it explode. The blast was both close and unexpected, so Riven lost his balance and crashed to the ground. Blinking, Riven's eyesight returned to him and looked up to see Timmy grinning with gun in hand.

"You guys talk way too much," Timmy smirked. He had been fighting with Codatorta, but when he had spotted his friends and had moved away from his professor to aid them.

"Thanks," Riven grunted as he quickly scrambled to his feet.

"You got here just in time, Timmy," Brandon grinned, cutting through the stomach of the headless monsters. "We're just having ourselves a little competition on who can defeat these things the best and I'm winning."

"As you are," Sky argued.

"Alright, we'll start the tally from now," Timmy told them all. "Highest number at the end wins."

"You are so on!" Brandon laughed, swinging around to stab a monster with his double beam saber. Just before his weapon contacted with the monsters shell, however, every rot monster flashed white in colour for half a second before returning back to their normal burgundy colouring. And when Brandon hit the monster, his saber didn't cut through and left only the smallest dint in its hard shell which it quickly repaired. "What the . . ?"

"The Trix must have given them stronger protection," Timmy noted when his weapons made no impact as well. Even Sky and Riven's swordsmanship couldn't make a dent. "This makes it a little more difficult."

"So does that!" Brandon gasped as Stormy and Darcy conjured up a twister with both their magic. The funnel touched down in the middle of the quad and ripped through the students who all made a dash to get away from it. Darcy's dark power lashed out at a few students as they ran, covering their skin with dark, whip like bruises. (3)

"Ouch!" Riven hissed, flinching as he watched a junior from Red Fountain get cut across the back with the dark magic. He knew from experience how much Darcy's magic stung. In the sky above them, Tecna shielded her friend with her World Wide Web attack and it was strong enough to cancel the twister.

"I wish we could help them," Brandon said, looking up as Stella threw a burst of sunlight at Stormy and the duplicated Darcy's.

"You worked out how to fly yet?" Riven asked, also glancing up at the fairies. Brandon decided there was no need to answer that.

"Hey, where's Bloom?" Sky asked, deflecting a stingrays attack.

"No doubt off fighting Icy," Brandon answered.

"I'm worried about her."

"I think we should be worried about ourselves," Timmy said, jumping out of the way of one of the headless monsters massive fists. With their new armour, the rot monsters were quickly gaining the upper hand on the battle.

"I got you Timmy," Sky said, once again pulling out his boomerang. "See how you like the boomerang!" The weapon hit its mark, but it made no impact on its enemy. Sky felt his hopes start to sink as the boomerang returned to him. Looking around, he saw countess of his class mates trying to take on the rot monsters, but ended up just focusing on not being squished by the giant fists. "I can't stop these iron pumpers."

'Stop it!' a part of him that sounded surprisingly like Codatorta commanded. 'Heroics 101; always keep a positive attitude!'

Sky noticed Brandon get cornered between two headless rot monsters. Forcing all negative thoughts out of his head, Sky threw his boomerang at one of the monsters chest, but it only just chipped its shell. And those negative thoughts quickly returned. "They're too tough!"

Riven rolled his eyes at his friends panic. Pulling out his double throwing stars, Riven decided to finish off Sky's monster. "Let me show you how it's done, bro. Double star!"

Like Sky's boomerang, the double throwing stars hit their target directly and yet made no impact on the monster. Riven couldn't hide his disappointment and in turn Sky couldn't hide his delight at the failed attack.

"No this is how it's done," Timmy said, taking aim and firing at the monsters with his gun. A bright, yellow light filled the area where the monster was, but when it faded it showed that Timmy's attack was as fruitless as Sky and Rivens.

"This is getting ridiculous," Riven grumbled. "How are we supposed to beat these things?"

And then, as if answering his question, the ogre Knut ran into the battle, picked up the monster they had all been attacking by the waist and dropped it to the ground. The massive rot monsters may have been unstoppable while they were standing, but when it was on the ground it couldn't seem to find its feet again. Knut ran off again, leaving behind him the struggling rot monster and four speechless students.

Finally, Brandon laughed. "I guess that's how you do it."

Sky grinned as well, but that smile faded when he noticed Stormy spinning in the sky above them. She was moving so fast that she literally became a blur, and around her the air shifted until it formed a massive wind funnel. The twister touched down in the quad, sending monsters and students running. A few unfortunate students got swept up in the wind before they were thrown out of the wind funnel. "That doesn't look good."

"Stella!" Brandon suddenly exclaimed in horror as he watched Stella and her friends get caught up in the twister. With no real idea at what he was doing, Brandon started to run towards the tail of the twister, but Sky stepped in his path.

"Don't be stupid!" Sky ordered his best friend. "You'll get killed!"

"I have to help her!" Brandon shouted, side stepping his prince and trying to make another dash towards the wind funnel that had trapped the Winx Club within it. But he was stopped again, only this time it was by Riven who opted to take hold of Brandon's cape to ensure that his friend didn't run headlong into danger. His plan worked rather effectively, though he did manage to choke Brandon in the process.

"Riven! The idea was not to let him kill himself, not help him!" Sky scolded as Brandon rubbed his throat and gasped for air.

Riven shrugged. "It worked, didn't it?"

"Lemme go," Brandon panted as soon as he found his voice. "Stella . . . we've got to help them."

"We can't fly, Brandon," Timmy reminded him. "And besides, they can take care of themselves. Remember, those girls managed to take out a fully grown Minotaur, and that was without power. I bet most Red Fountain seniors couldn't do that."

"They are pretty awesome," Sky agreed, blocking a stingrays attack. "I can't believe the power Bloom's throwing out."

"All of them have some amazing power," Brandon said with a slight smile, looking up at the fairies who were trying to counter the witches' twister. "Hell, they probably save us more than we save them."

"Oh I wouldn't go that far," Riven told him, though he silently did agree with his friends thinking. The Winx Club was made up of some one of kind fairies. Even he had to admit that they could probably handle any situation just as well if not better than him. Except Stella. She was the only one he refused to admit was capable of doing anything right.

"Look!" Timmy shouted as Stella, Flora, Musa and Tecna all stared to glow a bright yellow colour. Two thirds of the rot monsters instantly paused as the twister began to move backwards towards Darcy.

"What are they doing?" Riven wondered out loud as he watched with a fairly large level of delight as Darcy was sucked up into the spinning wind funnel.

"Stormy and Darcy's magic is weakening," Sky noted as the twisting air began to die down and falling out of the centre of it were the two Trix sisters. The Winx Club's spell had caused the Trix's dark magic to bounce back at them and getting caught up in Stormy's twister had left to two of them extremely dizzy. Too disorientated to react, the two witches plummeted towards the ground. But before they could either recover or land, Ms. Faragonda and Miss Griffin trapped them in a flying dungeon spell that crashed into the ground with such force that the student standing on the other side of the quad could feel the tremors it made on impact.

"No way! They did it!" Brandon cheered as he jumped into the air and punched his fist above his head. All around him, rot monsters were disappearing into thin air now that Darcy and Stormy were no longer powering them, but countless of rot monsters that were back by Icy still remained.

However, fighting the remaining rot monsters no longer interested Brandon. Descending from the sky, the Winx Club girls landed on the ground not far from where the two imprisoned Trix Sisters were being held. The four girls collapsed to the feet, exhausted and completely drained after their run in with Darcy and Stormy. "Stella!" Brandon gasped, his concern clearly covering his face. He took no notice of the stingrays that were still swooping at him overhead, and headed over to the girls. Timmy and Riven followed half a step behind.

Only Sky seemed to take notice of the danger that still surrounded them.

"It's not over yet," Sky thought aloud, but none of his friends heard him. Glancing in the direction that Icy and Bloom had gone, he felt his blood chill as he spotted a large pillar of ice looming above the trees in the place where Lake Crysalous was. A sickening feeling of dread suddenly swelled in his chest. "Oh no."

There was no question of who created that mountain of ice, and there was also no chance of that witch constructing it just for decoration. Bloom had told Sky at the start of year dance how Icy had attacked her for the first time in Magix and encased her in a block of ice, and it looked as though Icy had tried the same form of attack on her here, only this time she had gone completely over the top. Though he didn't want to admit it, Sky could see no way that someone could survive something like that.

But before he could let the horror of the thought sink in, Sky's attention was caught by an advancing rot monster and the prince's dismay quickly shifted the anger. He couldn't go help Bloom fight Icy directly, but this monster had to be powered by that witch and Sky had every intention of taking it out on this tentacle mouth freak.

"I've had enough of this!" Sky shouted, turning to attack the rot monster and in doing so, turned his back on the ice tower so he didn't see the spirit of the Great Dragon appear and wrap itself around the ice until it shattered. Brandon, Riven, Timmy and all the Winx Club saw it, however, and all of them froze and watched the explosion of power with awe.

"That can't be . . . Can it?" Riven stuttered as an intense white light filled the sky.

"It must be," Brandon replied in as equally as amazed voice. Who would have thought that the same girl that they had first met on Earth all those months ago would now hold the fate of the universe in her hands?

"The monsters," Timmy suddenly pointed out as the remaining monsters, including the one fighting Sky, vanished into thin air in the same way the other monsters did when Darcy and Stormy were detained. "They're disappearing."

"What does that mean?" Riven asked.

"It means we're winning!" Brandon cheered as a sly grin spread across his face. "And now to reap the rewards."

Both boys got his drift and returned his sly grin with one of their own.

* * *

Victory was a strange drug. It isn't normally classified under that term and yet it can give you such a high that can cause you to act outside your bodies' natural behaviour, which is very similar to the basic definition of a drug (4). Later, Riven would claim that he was acting out of the high the victory gave him and not his own initiative when he walked up behind Musa and offering her his hand so she could stand. "Hi. Need a hand?" 

Riven didn't care that he was going against his normal judgment. Musa's smile made it all worth while. She really didn't need his help getting up, but she accepted it anyway. "Yo," she grinned, trying to keep her cool act going, but Riven could see right through it, and for once he didn't make a comment on it. She still hadn't let go of his hand.

Timmy was another person that had been affected by the victory. His mouth was completely dry and his heart was pounding rapidly as he also help out his hand to help Tecna stand. He just hoped to the gods that she didn't notice that the palms of his hands were sweating slightly.

"Hey Timmy," she greeted coyly and Timmy swallowed hard.

"Er, hi Tenca," he replied and for once he couldn't seem to be able to focus his mind. Instead he just stared into her beautiful turquoise eyes, completely lost for words, and she didn't seem to mind.

Brandon, however, was never lost for words, but he knew that only two needed to be said as he helped Stella to her feet. "Hey princess."

"Hey," she beamed back at him, her eyes filled with delight. Everything about her seemed to glow, and Brandon didn't think it had anything to do with the fact that the clouds were finally starting to break up.

"Look the sun's coming out," Flora noted and Brandon wrapped his arm around the blonde princess who turned to watch the sun break through the clouds for the first time in days. But it wasn't the only thing radiating in the sky. Descending down from the clouds, and unconscious Icy in her arms, was Bloom.

"Bloom!" all the girls squealed in both delight and relief.

"You did it Bloom!" Flora cheered.

"You rule!" Stella added as Bloom landed gracefully on the ground. All around her the pollution of the Army of Decay was vanishing. The black clouds that had hung overhead for days cleared and the sun that had been hidden for so long finally shone down freely on the school of Alfea. The Winx Club – no longer interested in the guys – moved over to greet their victorious friend. "Hey you."

Bloom lower Icy to the ground and then promptly forgot about her. Brandon couldn't help but notice that danger signs with doing that. "She is not going to be happy when she wakes up," he muttered to Riven under his breath.

"You got that right," Riven agreed. If you thought battle mode Icy was scary, wait till you see morning Icy.

"Oh, I'm so happy your okay, Bloom," Stella said, brushing away a tear of happiness.

"Is so good to see you guys," Bloom greeted her friends, though Sky couldn't help but notice that she seemed too looked past them to him.

"Bloom, you're awesome! That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen! You've got to give me five . . ." Sky told her as he ran over to her, but she words trailed off when he stared into her eyes which were still the most intriguing shade of blue Sky had ever seen. They were pale, though not chilling like ice blue eyes, and they were soft and deep, though without darkness. And above all, they seemed to burn with a fire that Sky now recognized as the legendary Dragon Fire and even after staring into them for a whole school year, it was still difficult for Sky to even breathe as he held that beautiful gaze.

Slowly, Sky leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers.

On the odd occasion when he had kissed Diaspro, Sky had found nothing amazing about the contact like in the way movies and books would lead you to believe. His kisses with his ex fiancée were always emotionless, awkward, some what forced and not to mention a tad on the slimy side due to all the lips gloss and lip stick she wore. Kissing Bloom, however, was a mind blowing experience that Sky knew he was never going to get tired of. His body reacted like a shock of electricity went through him. His skin tingled and he got goose bumps on his legs. The entire world became hazy and distant as he was quickly flooded with Bloom's intoxicating aroma. He couldn't remember ever tasting anything as sweet as her lips, and that was including Jacob's delicious glazed donuts. In fact he could seem to remember anything other than how fantastic this amazing girl from Earth made him feel.

The kiss ended quickly (5) since both parties were rather shy when it came to expressing how much they did actually liked on another, and also because there was currently three whole schools watching them. Beaming up at Sky, Bloom suddenly laughed out loud as moved into his embrace, and Sky found her laughter infectious.

And he wasn't the only one laughing.

"Did he just say 'You've gotta give me five'?" (6) Dominique snickered maliciously.

"Yes he did," Riven smirked. "And I am so gonna torment him with it for the rest of his life."

"No you're not," Brandon commanded firmly. "We're on a victory high so none of us can be accountable for the embarrassing things we say."

"Oh, can't I just – "

"No!"

"But I – "

"You are such a – "

"No!"

"Witches, fairies and heroes!" Ms Faragonda announced from the center of the quad, cutting of the little argument. "The Army of Decay and the threat of the Trix Sisters are no more! We have won!"

The cheer that arose from the students was deafening. Fairies and witches filled that air with firework like spell and hexes. Heroes hit one another on the back with enough force to make their balance waver and leave red marks for hours afterwards. Girls from Cloud Tower and Alfea embraced the boys of Red Fountain – though never one another – and a few of the boys were lucky enough to receive kisses with those hugs. Dominique, caught up in the moment, grabbed Lex by the face and kisses him soundly, before relocating him into the sky to join the fireworks.

Some things never change.

* * *

"Magix is back to normal," Dominique reported to Ms Faragonda and Miss Griffin. A few minutes later, the rest of the scouting party that had been sent to Magix arrive, looking very annoyed that one of their party had bolted ahead of all of them and stolen the joy of giving good news. The witch was thrilled by their annoyance. 

"Thank you Dominique. You may leave now," Miss Griffin told her. The young witch didn't question her dismissal and simply ran off to prepare for the witches departure back to Cloud Tower. The two headmistresses then continued to discuss their plans for the future and how they were going to recover from this attack. Sky and Brandon watched all this from a far, while Bloom and Stella spoke with the ogre Knut.

"I can't do it," Knut whined.

"Yes you can," Bloom told him with an encouraging smile. "Just be honest."

"But it's impossible."

"Dude, we just beat an undying army of rot," Brandon pointed out. "_Anything's _possible. Now the old ladies are coming so here's your chance."

"I don't think you should call them old ladies," Sky advised his friend. He had seen those two 'old ladies' fight and they were nothing to be underestimated. Saladin, who had just joined the pair, was another old timer that Sky would always look at in a different light. Although all the students at Red Fountain knew of their headmasters magical abilities, very few if any had ever seen it displayed like that. Rest assured that forever more, students would jump to attention a lot sharper than usual.

Hesitantly, Knut made his way towards the trio, but then lost his nerve.

"Don't be so shy," Stella told him.

"Come on," Bloom also encouraged. "It can't hurt to ask."

Ms Faragonda looked at the ogre inquisitively. "Yes?"

When the big brut didn't say anything, Stella took control of the lead. "Knut has a question for Miss Griffin."

"Alright, what is it?" the master witch asked in what was actually her friendly voice, though none of the teenagers would know it since they were not her students.

"I really like it here at Alfea. Everyone's been so nice so can I stay please?" Knut begged her nervously. "Flora had a magical herbal shampoo that would really help with the OBO."

"There's also a new potion that might work," Saladin added. "I just read about it in Wizards Digest."

"It's fine with me," Ms Faragonda told the witch. "He'd be our first ogre in residence. What do you say?"

"Well, I don't see why not. It would certainly be a wonderful inter cultural experience," Miss Griffin said, and Knut laughed out loud in delight. It was funny how at the start of the year the boys had begun with fighting the ogre and now he was their friend . . . er, of sorts.

Ms Faragonda put Knut to work in cleaning up the school for prom as word spread that there would in fact be a Red Fountain next year. Funds had already been promised and everyone knew that Saladin was going to use the chance to redesign to school to its fullest advantage. While the old man loved the historical fort more than anyone could know, he always hated the fact that it would get damp and drafty in the winter.

"So they're still going ahead with prom?" Timmy asked watching several fairies flutter around the quad. Prom had been planned to occur today months ago, and it looked as though the committee planned to go through with it. And despite the fact that everyone was completely exhausted, everyone was up for it since they were all still riding on the adrenaline rush of victory.

"Yup. The girls on this years prom committee are a group of very determined fairies," Brandon said. "Even if we were still fighting the Army of Decay I have a feeling that prom would have still gone ahead."

"At least they'd have an original theme," Riven noted dryly.

"Do you think they're going to invite the witches to stay?" Timmy question, looking over at the Cloud Tower student body, who were once again all cloaked and were waiting in the quad while their headmistress talked with Ms Faragonda.

"I don't think they'd want to stay even if they were asked," Sky commented and right on queue Miss Griffin clapped her hands together sharply, and the slight chatter of the witches instantly died.

"Girls, it's time we got going!" Miss Griffin informed her students who started to make their way over to where she stood.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay from prom?" Ms Faragonda asked pleasantly. Despite the fact that they were supposed to be fierce rivals, the two head mistresses seemed to have come out of this ordeal with a connection that one might even dare to call friendship.

"We don't do prom. We crash prom," Miss Griffin declined sharply. "So enjoy it. This will be the one year we don't try and ruin it."

Ignoring the cold tone of Miss Griffin's voice, Ms Faragonda laughed out loud. She had known the master witch long enough to realize that what she had said was as close to a nice comment as she was going to get.

"Come on girls, we have a school to clean up tonight."

"We get to party while they have to clean?" Brandon smirked as Miss Griffin conjured up another vorpal tunnel. "Harsh."

"I bet there's going to be a lot of unhappy witches," Sky nodded.

"Enter the portal," Miss Griffin commanded and the witches did as she bid. Both Brandon and Riven glared at the vorpal tunnel in disgust. They'd sooner take on another horde of rot monsters that travel that way again. "I've thought a lot about what to do with those three witches and I've decided to send them to Do Gooder's Boot Camp where they'll sweeten the evil out of them."

"I hear everything there is terrible cute," Ms Faragonda noted as Stormy was lead into a portal by her new guardians. Not long after the three witches were imprisoned by Miss Griffin and Ms Faragonda, several strange looking men had arrived at Alfea at Miss Griffin's bidding. They were tall – taller even than Codatorta – with long hair and massive arms. But what stuck out the most was the fact that they all wore skirts. They had dressed the Trix Sister's in some truly horrible robes and adorned them while special crystals that notarized their powers. And now they were being sent away to Light Haven where they would – hopefully – be no longer a threat to society.

"It is. They're going to be absolutely miserable," Miss Griffin almost grinned as Darcy was lead away.

As Icy was escorted to the portal, she glared dangers at Bloom with enough hatred that Sky could almost swear he heard the air sizzle. If Bloom or her friends felt anything though, they didn't show it. Stella even went as far as waving them off cheerily. Icy's pale blue eyes burned with immeasurable hatred that almost screamed for revenge.

"I am so not done with you," the Ice Queen promised Bloom, and then she was gone.

* * *

Most of the ice had melt off Red Fountain thanks to the dragons fire power. The giant beast, once released from the witches hold had amused themselves by blowing fire onto the ice to make it melt and steam. Several of the younger dragons splashed and rolled in the chilly water merrily, slapping their tailings in the water to send droplet up into the air where they glistened like diamonds. 

Riven, however, felt no joy as he surveyed the ruins of his school for the first time. This was his home, and he had had a hand in its destruction. And that was not a pleasant feeling. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Oh, it's not that bad," Brandon said, trying to lighten the mood, but Riven shot that to pieces with a filthy look. "Look on the bright side; we get a completely new school next year."

"I like the old one more."

"You haven't even seen the new one," Sky pointed you.

"Yeah, quit livin' in the past bro!" Brandon grinned and Riven made no attempt to deliver any kind of threat which was very unusual for Riven but no one had a chance to comment on it since at that very moment, a fat little welsh dragon dropped out of the sky, roaring happily.

"Monty!" Toby cried, hugging the snout of his pleasant little dragon. "I missed you buddy!"

The building had already deemed safe for the students to enter, but the foundations had become extremely weak after the witches attack. Several ceilings had fallen in and some of the dorm rooms – including the one Riven shared with Bourne and Kane – was completely ruined. Riven actually didn't seem to mind since he didn't really own anything of importance anyway, and also because the main bulk of the ceiling had collapsed onto Kane's bed.

Brandon, Sky and Timmy's room, however, was left pretty much in tack, though water from the melting ice had flooded their room which had unfortunately lead to a casualty; Timmy's computer.

"Oh, I'm sorry man," Brandon said, putting a comforting hand on his friends shoulder.

"It's alright," Timmy lied, trying to put on a brave face though Brandon and Sky could see right through it. "I mean, I've got a lot of it backed up on my computer at home. But still . . ."

"It's gonna be okay," Sky told him, also grasping his shoulder. Lady, who had been watching all this from the door, sensed that Timmy needed comforting and trotted over to Timmy and licked his hand.

A ghost of a smile brushed over Timmy's lips at the affection of his friends. "Thanks guys. Now come on, let's go find Riven before Kane tries to kill him."

* * *

"Well, it's sure been an interesting year," Brandon sighed as they walked through the flooded corridor. "I mean, it didn't exactly go as I had hoped for, but it was interesting none the less." 

"Actually, you did kinda get what you wanted," Sky mused, thinking back to Brandon's toast at the start of the year. "I mean, we got adventure in the form of say going to Sparx, danger with the Army of Decay and we eventually did get the beautiful women."

"Yeah, but friendship was also it there and that was a massive balls up this year. I mean, at one stage none of us were talking with one another," Brandon pointed out.

"I know, but maybe we'll all walk away from this stronger because of it," Sky shrugged.

"Dude, that is the cheesiest thing I have ever heard you say."

"Well, may that teach you a lesson to be specific with you're toasts," Timmy said slyly.

"Good point," Brandon laughed out loud, but his smile quickly faded when he saw who was walking down the corridor in the opposite direction to them. "Oh gods."

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my most favourite squire in the whole realm," Justin spat maliciously. "I've seen what happened to your room. Does that make it feel more like home now?"

"Piss off, Status Crow," Sky ordered.

"Oh I don't think so. See Sky, you've got to understand that there is a set social pecking order and commoner scum like Brandon here are supposed to get stepped on by people like us. And yet you fail to understand that. If you ditch these losers, I might be willing to show you the ropes."

"Yeah, not gonna happen," Sky snarled. Glancing over Justin's shoulder, Sky could see Riven walking up the corridor towards the little confrontation, but neither Justin nor his goons realized this.

"Figures. You three really are the most pathetic people in this school. I mean, a computer nerd acting like a hero? A prince pretending like rank doesn't matter? And a _squire_ thinking that he's worth something? It's a joke!" Justin laughed cruelly, before glancing down at Lady, who was cowering behind Sky's legs. "And don't even get me started on that stray you like to call a pet."

Without even issuing a threat, Riven managed break through Justin's goons and grab the son of a duke by the collar. Before any of the lacrosse team could react, Riven threw Justin forcefully into the wall in much the same way he had done when he had first arrived at Red Fountain at the start of the year. The major difference between that start of year and now, however, was that the foundations of the school were not as strong as they used to be. So while Riven had thrown Justin with equal strength as what he had done all those months ago, this time the wall crumbled under the impact and Justin went crashing into the senior Frankie's room, who turned and kicked Justin in the ribs in an unconscious reaction.

"Whao!" Riven gasped. He was not expecting that. Brandon, however, burst out laughing. Digging into his pocket the squire pulled out his wallet and removed ten dollar note.

"Here," he laughed, grinning from ear to ear as he slapped the note into Riven's hand. "You lost the bet at the start of the year by doin' that, but I am paying you now because that has to be the best thing I've seen all year."

"Yeah, well, no one insults our dog," Riven told them all. "The ships are leaving to go to Alfea now."

"Well, let's not keep the lovely ladies of Alfea wait then," Brandon smirked as the group headed for the hanger.

* * *

The previous year, prom had been a bit of a let down for the boys. None of the were really interested in any of the Alfea that year except for Brandon, who spent the whole night sulking because Stella had been sent home early after blowing up the potions lab. But with the presence of the Winx Club, coupled with the high everyone was on for defeating one of the most dangerous magical armies the universe had ever seen, this years prom was something Timmy wasn't going to forget easily. 

"So, you'll be heading back to Zenith, right?" Timmy asked Tecna somewhat nervously. The digital fairy nodded sweetly. "So, can I write to you some time?"

"You certainly may," Tecna giggled as she nervously touched her hair. "It's going to be very weird to go home to peace and quiet after all this. And to have my own room again . . . wow. I'm not sure how I'm going to go to sleep now that I've gotten used to the music Musa likes to play as she's going to bed. It'll be a bit of a change not to be living in a dorm."

"Tell me about it. I've got two older sisters and after spending a year at an all boys school it was a massive shock to the system to come home to hour long bathroom sessions and having to listen to boyfriend dramas," Timmy said. "The oldest one has moved out this year so hopefully this summer isn't as bad. Least they can't gang up on me."

Tecna laughed as she lowered her drink. "They do that often?"

"More than I'm like to admit," Timmy confessed bashfully. "When I was younger they used play dress ups, and they didn't want me to be left out if you get my drift."

"They didn't?"

"They did," Timmy sighed regretfully, and then realised what he had just disclosed to her. "By the way, this doesn't go passed us. If the guys ever found out . . . "

"What's the matter? Didn't you trust me?" Tecna asked in a playful tone."

"Tecna."

"Oh Brandon!" Tecna called, making Timmy jump slightly. He made an attempt to cover her mouth, but her put up her hands and blocked him. "I'm just teasing. I don't even think he's paying attention."

"He better not be," Timmy warned, looking over at the squire who was currently completely enthralled in the blonde princess next to him. "I'd never hear the end of it."

"We'll just have to get you some new clothes, now wont we. That way your sisters won't be able to try and dress you up since you'll look so good already," Tecna said, her hands still being held by Timmy's.

"Hmm. A shopping trip with a girl?" Timmy pondered. "I'll no doubt need to take with me a weeks worth of previsions and – "

"Excuse me?" Tecna laughed.

"You're excused."

"Are you suggesting I'm a shop-a-holic like Stella?"

"No, but you are a girl so it must be in your genetic composition," Timmy grinned. Tecna feigned outrage, trying to get her hands free from his. He held on, believing that if one of her hands got loose she may try to hit him. It would all be in fun, of course, but he was a Red Fountain sophomore, and they do_ not_ allow themselves to get beaten up by Alfea freshmen's.

"If it wasn't for us girls, you boys would currently be enlisted into the Trix's private servitude."

"We wouldn't let them get that far. We would have stopped them."

"I highly doubt that," Tecna laughed as she continued to struggled to get free from his hold. Though her smile didn't fade in the slightest.

Sky grinned at the pair as he walked over to where Brandon, who had had Stella stolen away from him by Musa, and Riven sat. Strangely enough, the two boys had their eyes fixed on the teachers table. "What are you doing?" Sky asked them.

"Watching Saladin get drunk on 'milkshakes'," Brandon answered, raising his fingers to do the inverted commas.

Riven snorted a laugh. "They don't look like any milkshakes I've seen."

"Whatever, have you guys seen Bloom?" Sky asked them.

"Are you engaged or something?"

"No man, I called that off."

"Oh that's good cause I would have ripped on you so bad if you were," Riven told him in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"What? Why?"

"Dude, that chick was Princess of the Realm of Quartz which you – if you had married her – would have become king of."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Brandon asked him.

"Well it sound's almost exactly like warts."

"Oh real mature Riven," Sky said, but Brandon was currently howling with laughter. "Now, have you of have you not seen Bloom."

"She's over there."

Heading off to where Riven had pointed, Sky found Bloom by one of the more secluded wells Alfea had on offer (7). Sky didn't know exactly why a school needed more than one wishing well, but he really didn't care at the moment. Bloom was staring up at the moon, and for some reason she looked sad.

"Hey, there you are," Sky greeted. "I was looking for you. They were playing that song you like."

"I just needed some fresh air," Bloom told him.

"Are you okay?" Sky asked her, walking over and sitting down next to her on the edge of the well.

"I dunno," Bloom sighed. "I started thinking how summer's about to start and everyone's going away for a couple of months and I got really sad. Like, this is going to sound cheesy, but I'll miss you."

"Hey I'm totally going to miss you too but the school year's not over yet," Sky reminded her as his finger tips edged closer to her until they touched. "We still have time to dance. Wonna get back to the party?"

"Ah, yeah. Okay."

* * *

Sky managed to steal a few dances with Bloom, but it wasn't long before Bloom had exhausted herself and demanded that they returned to their friends so she could get a drink and catch her breath. They found their friends sitting at a table with Knut and Aflea's newest student Mirta. Stella was trying to explain to Riven what was so wrong with his taste in clothing, and Brandon, Musa and Tecna were finding it to be rather entertaining, though Riven seemed to be lacking his usual sharp edge when it came to arguments. Timmy and Flora were talking with Mirta and trying to make her feel welcome in their little group, while Knut and Kiko seemed more interested in the food. 

"Oh wow," Bloom sighed as she collapsed into her chair. "I am so tried but at the same time I'm having an absolute blast!"

"I'll say," Flora agreed. "This is the best party ever!"

"I'd like to purpose a toast," Bloom told them all, raising her glass in the air. "To friends!"

"To new friends and old ones!" Sky added, glancing at Riven. He managed to lock onto those violet eyes for half a second, but Riven quickly averted his gaze. Sky couldn't help but notice that, although Riven was sitting at the same table as them, he was still keeping his distance and unfortunately only time could change that.

Brandon, unaware of his princes thoughts, decided to add his own little bit to the toast. "And to princess."

"Let's toast to non royalty people to. We can not forget about them because you know they can be pretty cute," Stella said, latching onto Brandon's arm.

"Huh?" Brandon said dumbly, not prepared for her sudden affecting, and his friends found his confusion to be hilarious.

"And to Bloom!" Tecna added cheerfully.

"A special shout out to Bloom," Musa agreed.

"When she got here she didn't even have wings and today she saved the whole realm of Magix," Stella remind them all as Bloom's rabbit Kiko tried to make a break for it with a mini mountain of fruit.

"To Bloom!" everyone toasted in unison. Bloom blushed slightly at the attention and Kiko collapsed under his huge pile of fruit.

"You guys, we're going to be sophomores next year," Flora reminded the rest of the Winx Cub. "And you know what they say; sophomore year is even more thrilling and more exciting than the first year."

'It's something, alright,' Brandon thought to himself, and with Stella still attached to his arm he couldn't seem to stop grinning.

"To next year!" both Sky and Bloom said at the same time, raising their glasses in the air. But right now, the next school year couldn't be further from their minds. All they wanted to do was enjoy the night and have a good time with their friends

**The End.**

* * *

_Finished! slumps over keyboard in exhaustion Oh my god, that was a big task. And I just couldn't think of a way to end it all. I was thinking about this some time back and worked out the perfect way to end it, but then I realized that I was thinking about the ending to the second season, not the first. _

_(1) Do you ever notice that throughout that whole battle no one seems to get hurt?_

_(2) I figure after betraying his friends, Riven's feeling a bit guilty so he doesn't pick as many fight. It just makes him a bit more agreeable in this chapter_

_(3) We never see Darcy's magic in that twister, so I made my own version of it_

_(4) The most basic definition of a drug according to my high school health teacher is anything that alters that body from its natural state _

_(5) Like too quickly for anyone to write anything good on it. How are we meant to make a passionate moment when the kiss is like half a second long?_

_(6) That has got to be the lames line in the history of the universe. You've gotta give me five. Who says that to the girl that they like? _

_(7) I swear that well moves. I was certain that it was located in the middle of the quad, but then this one is more secluded so it can't be the same one since the quad's got a party going on. I dunno ay?_

_Anyways, that's it from me for a couple of months. I'm off to work at the snow as a super liftie, but I'm taking my laptop with me this time so I'll probably keep writing. I just need to come up with a new idea for a story. Maybe I should just finish a few of those ones I've started but abandoned after the first few chapters. Oh well, I have three months to work it out. But I want you all to keep writing so that there's are some great stories for me to read when I get back. You've got all winter (or summer depending on where you are in the world) to crank out some good fic's. Don't let me down guys. _

_So, I'll catch you later, guys._

_Cheers, tears-in-rain_


End file.
